British MPs for Catalan Independence

High Noon in Big Ben at the UK Houses of Parliament. Below: Massive street protests and massive independent votes for independence.

Nine members of Parliament in London have tabled an Early Day Motion in support of a referendum of independence for Catalonia. The occupation of Catalonia in 1714 by French and Spanish absolutists was made possible by the betrayal of the English Parliament, at the time, of their allies in Catalonia in return for the right to sell slaves in the Spanish Empire among other baubles (Search How England betrayed the Catalans): “That this House notes that more than one million people attended the 10 July 2010 protest in Barcelona in favour of proper powers for Catalonia; welcomes the continuing debate over the constitution of Catalonia; believes Catalonia to be a nation; recognises that independently organised votes on independence have shown a majority in favour; expresses concern that the democratic will of the people of Catalonia as shown in the 2006 referendum on the Statute of Autonomy should be over-ruled by the judiciary of Madrid in its ruling of June 2010; expresses further concern that future constitutional developments in Catalonia which take place with the support of the government and people of Catalonia may face judicial review by organisations which are not neutral or independent in this matter; and calls for the 2006 statute to be carried out in the form which was supported at the ballot box and that the residents of Catalonia should be allowed the right to determine democratically their own future.” Signed by Hywel Williams, Elfyn Llwyd, Jonathan Edwards, Pete Wishart, Angus Brendan MacNeil, Mike Weir, Caroline Lucas, Stewart Hosie, Eilidh Whiteford, MPs.

(Catalan Statute of Autonomy, Early Day Motion, Parliament UK, 14 July 2010)