The politics of the Falkland Islands takes place in a framework of a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary representative democratic dependency as set out by the constitution, whereby the Governor exercises the duties of head of state in the absence of the monarch and the Chief Executive acts as the head of government, with an elected Legislative Assembly to propose new laws and hold the executive to account.
The Legislative Assembly of the Falkland Islands is the unicameral legislature of the British Overseas Territory of the Falkland Islands. The Legislative Assembly replaced the Legislative Council when the new Constitution of the Falklands came into force in 2009 and laid out the composition, powers and procedures of the islands' legislature.
The Falkland Islands is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf. The principal islands are about 300 miles east of South America's southern Patagonian coast and about 752 miles from the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, at a latitude of about 52°S. The archipelago, with an area of 4,700 square miles, comprises East Falkland, West Falkland, and 776 smaller islands. As a British overseas territory, the Falklands have internal self-governance, and the United Kingdom takes responsibility for their defence and foreign affairs. The Falkland Islands' capital is Stanley on East Falkland.
William Robert Luxton is a Falkland Islander farmer and politician who served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly for the Camp constituency from the 2009 general election until his resignation in 2011. Luxton was also a Member of the Legislative Council from 1989 to 2001, and served on the Executive Council of the Falkland Islands in the 1980s.
Emma Jane Edwards is a British born, Falkland Islands teacher and politician, who served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly for the Stanley constituency from her election in 2009 until she resigned in 2011. She is the eldest daughter of another MLA, Roger Edwards.
Sharon Halford is a Falkland Islands politician who served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly for the Camp constituency from 2009 until 2013. Halford was also a Member of the Legislative Council from 1993–2001 for Stanley.
Richard Sawle is a British born, Falkland Islands politician, who has been Complaints Commissioner since 15 January 2014 and previously served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly for the Stanley constituency from 2009 until 2013.
Gavin Phillip Short is a Falkland Islands politician who served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly for the Stanley constituency from 2009 until 2017. He was previously a Member of the Legislative Council from 1989–1993.
Michael Victor Summers OBE is a Falkland Islands politician who served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly for the Stanley constituency from 2011 to 2017. He was previously a Member of the Legislative Council from 1996–2009.
The Falkland Islands general election of 2013 was held on Thursday 7 November 2013 to elect all eight members of the Legislative Assembly through universal suffrage using block voting, with each Stanley constituent having up to 5 votes and each Camp constituent having up to 3 votes. A total of 1,046 ballots were cast in Stanley, representing a turn-out of 75.4%, and 242 ballots in Camp, representing a turn-out of 85.5%. As no political parties are active in the Falklands, all the candidates stood as Independents. The Chief Executive of the Falkland Islands, Keith Padgett, acted as returning officer. It was the second election since the new Constitution came into force replacing the Legislative Council with the Legislative Assembly.
The Falkland Islands general election of 2017 was held on Thursday 9 November 2017 to elect all eight members of the Legislative Assembly through universal suffrage using block voting, with each Stanley constituent having up to 5 votes and each Camp constituent having up to 3 votes. Voter turnout was 80% in Stanley and 86% in Camp.
A referendum on political status was held in the Falkland Islands on 10–11 March 2013. The Falkland Islanders were asked whether or not they supported the continuation of their status as an Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom in view of Argentina's call for negotiations on the islands' sovereignty.
Phyllis Mary Rendell MBE is a Falkland Islands politician who served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly for the Camp constituency from 2013 to 2017.
Roger Kenneth Spink is a Falkland Islands politician who has served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly for the Stanley constituency since the 2017 general election.
Leona Lucila Vidal Roberts is a Falkland Islands curator, radio broadcaster and politician who has served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly for the Stanley constituency since the 2017 general election. She previously served as Director and Manager of the Falkland Islands Museum and National Trust.
Teslyn Siobhan Barkman is a Falkland Island journalist and politician who has served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly for the Camp constituency since the 2017 general election. Prior to entering politics, she was a journalist for Penguin News.
Stacy John Bragger is a Falkland Island journalist and politician who has served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly for the Stanley constituency since the 2017 general election.
Mark John Pollard is a Falkland Island politician who has served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly for the Stanley constituency since the 2017 general election.
A referendum on reforming the electoral system was held in the Falkland Islands on 24 September 2020, after being postponed from 26 March 2020 following the Coronavirus pandemic. Voters were asked if they wanted to replace the two existing electoral constituencies with a single constituency for the whole of the Islands. Although a majority of those who voted supported the change, the required two-thirds majority in both of the islands' constituencies was not achieved.
