‘Your move, Golding’: Matthew Samuda to relinquish British citizenship
/ Our Today
administrator
Government Senator Matthew Samuda says he is “advanced” in steps to renouncing his British citizenship, which he has held for close to 40 years by virtue of birth.
Samuda, in a statement on Thursday (May 30), disclosed that he moved to relinquish his ties to the United Kingdom amid ongoing public discourse surrounding Opposition Leader Mark Golding’s citizenship row.
He lobbed the contentious citizenship football back to Golding, urging the People’s National Party (PNP) president to follow suit.
In social media posts on Instagram and X, where the statement was shared, Senator Samuda continued, “My loyalty and commitment is solely to Jamaica”.
Full statement:
“I am advanced in the process of renouncing my British citizenship which I acquired at birth. I voluntarily took the decision to retain Jamaican citizenship only and renounce British citizenship after having carefully listened to recent public discourse concerning the issue of dual citizenship. I had begun the process of renunciation prior to today by completing relevant forms. In response to public enquiries, l wish to make my decision to renounce clear. I’d strongly advise the Opposition Leader to take a similar course of action.”
Golding continues to face calls from the governing JLP and civil society to renounce his British citizenship though the PNP president labels the uproar a distraction.
JLP operatives have gone further to demand his resignation should their demands not be met and brandished Golding as a hypocrite for wanting to separate from the UK while being a full ‘subject of the King’ himself.
He counterargued that the appeals were ‘unreasonable’, insisting there was no legal reason to do so.
Citing provisions in the Jamaican constitution that currently allow Commonwealth citizens ages 21 and older to sit in Parliament, the opposition leader said in a May 21 television interview that we would consider relinquishing his British citizenship.
“There are a number of people in Parliament who are Commonwealth citizens, I am not the only one. So I don’t see why this is a big issue, but it is obviously being used as a way to attack me personally,” he said at the time.
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