Do Gibraltar citizens participate in the British parliamentary elections

Most people, like Hong Kong in the past, count as British overseas citizens and do not have the right to vote.

A test question analysis: Modern European and American countries are all like Britain without exception, because if the Athenian style is adopted, millions or even hundreds of millions of people will be burdened by the election for a long time, the operating procedures are complicated, the cost is extremely high, and the negative impact on social life is great. Therefore, the Athenian-style direct election could only be held in a small country with few thousand citizens, after all, there were only a few thousand Athenian citizens.

Therefore, the choice is not the main difference between Athens and modern England, and it is not the main reason for the difference in the form of democracy.

Comment: The key to answering this question is to accurately grasp the characteristics of Athenian democracy. The Athenian democracy was a direct democracy, based on a small country and a small population, which was very different from modern democracy, which was usually representative at its core.

The disadvantages of direct democracy are very obvious, even under direct democracy, it is the democracy of the minority, and women, gentiles, slaves, etc., have no democratic power. However, during the Perikles period, Athenian democracy reached its peak with the Citizens' Assembly, the Council of 500, and the People's Court. Knowledge points related to this, such as the formation process, characteristics, and influence of Athenian democracy, need to be mastered.

Do not participate, like Australia and Canada, where the head of state is the Queen of England, but does not participate in elections.

Prior to the major electoral reforms of Britain in the 19th century, each constituency could vote for members of parliament according to its own ordinances, and most constituencies at that time elected two members, and voting rights were mostly limited to males with property rights. The right to vote is restricted to those who have an income of more than 40 shillings and free land. The candidate must have an annual land income of at least £600 and a municipal councillor with a real estate income of at least £300.

In 1832, the Whigs, representing the interests of the bourgeoisie, proposed the first electoral reform law ———the People's Representation of England and Wales) in the midst of the people's demand for universal suffrage. As a result of this reform, seats have been redistributed, the number of city deputies has been increased, and the property eligibility limits for voters and candidates have been lowered. By the 1880s, the right to vote had been extended to almost all adult male citizens.

However, those who own commercial property rights enjoy:"Right of revoicing", most constituencies elect only one MP.

In the 20th century, Britain passed the 1918 "National Suffrage Act", which allowed women to have the right to vote, and men over the age of 21 and women over the age of 30 had the right to vote. Ten years later, the Equal Citizenship Act changed the age of suffrage for women to 21, the same as for men. By 1949, all constituencies had only one member of parliament, and the reballot system was abolished.

In 1968, the suffrage age was lowered to 18.

The Strait of Gibraltar is located between the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula in Europe and the northwest corner of Africa, from the line between Cape Lajerga in Europe and Cape Sbatel in Africa in the west, and the line between Gibraltar City and Cape Almina in the east, with a total length of about 48 nautical miles. The strait is wide in the west and narrow in the east, with the widest point being 23 nautical miles and the narrowest point being only nautical miles. The word "Gibraltar" is of Arabic origin and means "Mount Tariq".

In 711 A.D., the Moorish leader Tariq ibn Zaid crossed the strait and captured the peninsula, taking his name.

In 1704, the British occupied Gibraltar and established a military fort there. In 1713, Spain signed a peace treaty with Great Britain, ceding Gibraltar to Great Britain. In both world wars, it was an important naval base for the United Kingdom.

Especially during the Second World War, the British army built 16 kilometers of underground tunnels alone in order to strengthen the fortifications. Spain had not renounced its claim to Gibraltar's territory. In 1959, Spain asked the United Nations to urge Britain to return sovereignty over Gibraltar.

The United Kingdom stated that Gibraltar was its Non-Self-Governing Territory. In 1964, the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization requested talks between Britain and Spain in order to reach a negotiated solution. In September 1967, the United Kingdom held a referendum in Gibraltar, which resulted in a majority of citizens in favour of Gibraltar's continued membership in the United Kingdom.

In 1969, Gibraltar promulgated a self-governing constitution. In 1976, the United Nations General Assembly again urged the two countries to negotiate. In February 1985, Spain had completely lifted its blockade of Gibraltar and discussions began between Britain and Spain, including the sovereignty of Gibraltar.

Britain and Spain have been at loggerheads over Gibraltar's sovereignty and control of the waters around the Strait of Gibraltar. Gibraltar is a military center, and the Strait of Gibraltar is the only passage connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, and is known as the "lifeline" of the West. Especially after the opening of the Suez Canal in the 19th century, the Strait of Gibraltar became a shortcut for shipping between the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans.

Today, the Strait of Gibraltar is one of the busiest sea lanes in the world. Ships from Western and Nordic countries to countries bordering the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean generally pass through the Strait of Gibraltar - Mediterranean Sea - Suez Canal - Bab el-Mandeb Strait. And ships carrying oil from the Persian Gulf are also transported through the Strait of Gibraltar to the countries of Western and Northern Europe.

From a military point of view, the Strait of Gibraltar is the main route for the US Navy's Sixth Fleet and the navies of NATO countries to enter and exit the Mediterranean. Spain's Rota Naval Base is the base of the U.S. Mediterranean Fleet, which allows the U.S. military to control and blockade the Strait of Gibraltar at any time. The Strait of Gibraltar is also the only route for the Russian Black Sea Fleet to enter and exit the Atlantic.

The Strait of Gibraltar also has significant oceanographic value. The water in the strait flows from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Ocean above 200 meters, to the bottom of the ocean at depths of 200 meters, and from the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean with higher salinity.

The House of Lords in the United Kingdom is generally held by nobles and has no real power, while the House of Commons has real power, and the Prime Minister is generally held by the majority leader of the House of Commons, and the members of the House of Commons are indirectly elected. In the United States, each state elects two members, and the House of Representatives distributes members according to the proportion of the population of each state. Bills must be passed by both houses to take effect, and both are indirectly elected.

Modern democracies generally have indirect elections, and direct elections are only suitable for small states with few people, like the citizens of ancient Greece.

Gibraltar is Spanish territory, but it has been forcibly occupied by Britain for 300 years, why not take it back by force.