On Sun, 27 Jul 2003 14:10:21 +0000 (UTC), "William Black"
wrote:

"Jim Watt" wrote in message
.. .

Firstly like many americans you are ill informed, there is no such
thing as a British Subject.

Actually there is, but there are not too many of them.

They are people who were born in old colonies and opted to become British
Subjects when the UK withdrew from the colony. They have no right of
residence in the UK.

Technically people resident in the last few British colonies (Gib,
Falkland's Islands, Pitcairn and a couple of others) may become British
Subjects.

Oh dear Fred, you really do pick the wrong people to lecture to:

The British Nationality Act (1981) created three type of
British Citizen:

a) British Citizens, who have the right of residence in the United
Kingdom

b) Citizens of British Overseas territories

c) British overseas Citizenship

At no time does the word 'Subject' figure in the law or on a passport.

Now although initially Gibraltarians were to be classed under b)
along with the other British overseas territories, as Gibraltar became
a member of the EU under the UK treaty of accession (1973)
the Gibraltarians acquired the right of residence in all other EU
territories. This was considered an anomaly in that they did not
automatically have that right in the UK.

So we protested and after a small campaign, and exception was
made and Gibraltar acquired the right to British Citizenship (type a)

That status has now been made available to all other British
Overseas territories. Those particularly affected were the
residents of St Helena, as many wanted to work in the UK.

Now open the box and eat the banana.


--
Jim Watt http://www.gibnet.com