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A referendum on integration with the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...
was held in
Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
on 11 and 12 February 1956.
Dieter Nohlen Dieter Nohlen (born 6 November 1939) is a German academic and political scientist. He currently holds the position of Emeritus Professor of Political Science in the Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences of the University of Heidelberg. An exp ...
& Philip Stöver (2010) ''Elections in Europe: A data handbook'', p1302
The proposals were approved by 77% of those who voted, on a turnout of 59.1%. They were never fully implemented, and the country became a
Realm A realm is a community or territory over which a sovereign rules. The term is commonly used to describe a monarchical or dynastic state. A realm may also be a subdivision within an empire, if it has its own monarch, e.g. the German Empire. Et ...
within the British Commonwealth titled the
State of Malta The State of Malta ( mt, Stat ta’ Malta), commonly known as Malta, was the predecessor to the modern-day Republic of Malta. It existed between 21 September 1964 and 13 December 1974. The Crown Colony of Malta became independent under the Ma ...
eight years later.


Proposals

Under the proposals, Malta would have had three seats of its own in the
British House of Commons The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the upper house, the House of Lords, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. The House of Commons is an elected body consisting of 65 ...
. In addition, the Home Office would take over responsibility for Maltese affairs from the
Colonial Office The Colonial Office was a government department of the Kingdom of Great Britain and later of the United Kingdom, first created to deal with the colonial affairs of British North America but required also to oversee the increasing number of c ...
.''Malta''
Simon C. Smith, University of London, Institute of Commonwealth Studies, The Stationery Office, 2006, page 133 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.
Elections in Malta
Standards of living on the islands would be raised to parity with the rest of the UK by raising wages and increasing employment opportunities.


Results


References

{{Maltese elections Referendums in Malta
Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
1956 in Malta Malta and the Commonwealth of Nations Malta–United Kingdom relations United Kingdom and the Commonwealth of Nations Crown Colony of Malta February 1956 events in Europe