1956 Maltese United Kingdom integration referendum

A referendum on integration with the United Kingdom was held in Malta on 11 and 12 February 1956.^[1] The proposals were approved by 77% of those who voted, on a turnout of 59%; the low turnout was partly because of a boycott by the Nationalist Party. The proposals were never fully implemented, and the country became an independent Realm within the British Commonwealth titled the State of Malta eight years later.^[2]

1956 Maltese United Kingdom integration referendum

11–12 February 1956
Results
Choice Votes % Yes 67,607 77.02% No 20,177 22.98% Valid votes 87,784 97.17% Invalid or blank votes 2,559 2.83% Total votes 90,343 100.00% Registered voters/turnout 152,783 59.13%

Proposals

Under the proposals, Malta would have had three seats of its own in the British House of Commons.^[3] In addition, the Home Office would take over responsibility for Maltese affairs from the Colonial Office.^[4] The UK parliament would have control of defence and foreign affairs, and eventually direct taxation, whereas the Maltese parliament would be responsible for all other areas of public life, including education and the position of the Catholic Church.^[5] Under the text of the referendum, agreements would be made with the United Kingdom with the objective of improving wages, employment opportunities and standards of living on the islands to parity with the rest of the UK.^[5]

Results

Choice		Votes	%
For		67,607	77.02
Against		20,177	22.98
Total		87,784	100.00
Valid votes		87,784	97.17
Invalid/blank votes		2,559	2.83
Total votes		90,343	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		152,783	59.13
Source: Nohlen & Stöver

Aftermath

Despite the results approving further integration with the UK, the low turnout allowed the opposition to claim that the result was inconclusive.^[6] There were also concerns expressed by some British MPs that the representation of Malta at Westminster would set a precedent for other colonies, and influence the outcome of general elections.^[7] Malta became an independent Commonwealth Realm on 21 September 1964 and a republic on 13 December 1974; after the expiry of a defence agreement with the United Kingdom, the last British forces left Malta on 31 March 1979.

References

1. Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p1302 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
2. Smith, Simon C. (2007). Integration and disintegration : the attempted incorporation of Malta into the United Kingdom in the 1950s. The Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History, 35(1), 49-71.
3. , The Spectator, 10 February 1956
4. Malta, Simon C. Smith, University of London, Institute of Commonwealth Studies, The Stationery Office, 2006, page 133
5. Referenda in Malta: The Questions and the Voters' Responses Elections in Malta September 27, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
6. Zarb Dimech, Anthony (29 May 2011). "Maltese Referenda past and present". The Malta Independent. from the original on 11 September 2014. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
7. "Malta (Round Table Conference) – HC Deb vol 550 cc1778-931". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 26 March 1956. from the original on 19 September 2015. Retrieved 10 September 2014.