This cartoon by Paul Thomas from the Daily Express relates to the two-day referendum being held in the Falkland Islands on whether to remain a British overseas territory. Argentina has constantly reiterated its claims to the islands, 30 years after it was repelled by a British task force in a 74-day conflict. The islanders decided to hold the vote in response to Argentine pressure for negotiations over sovereignty. Some 1,672 British citizens - out of a population of about 2,900 - can vote. Read more >>
COMMENTARY
The cartoon shows a polling station somewhere in the Falkland Islands. People (and penguins holding Union Jack flags) are queueing to vote. A lone seagull flies overhead. The joke is that penguins outnumber people on the Falkland Islands, so perhaps they should be eligible to vote.
VOCABULARY
A polling station is a place where people go to vote at an election. It is often a school or other public building.
