Adrian Monk OBE (13 May 1917 – 5 March 2004) was a British-born politician in the

Falkland Islands The Falkland Islands (; es, Islas Malvinas, link=no ) is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf. The principal islands are about east of South America's southern Patagonian coast and about from Cape Dubouzet ...

, who rose to fame due to his prominent role at the time of the

Falklands War The Falklands War ( es, link=no, Guerra de las Malvinas) was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and its territorial de ...

. He was known as the "only real politician in the Falkland Islands".

Life and career

Monk was born in Midsomer Norton, Somerset, on 13 May 1917. He was awarded the OBE in 1979. He became a councillor on the Falkland Islands and initially rose to prominence when opposing moves by government minister Nicholas Ridley in 1980-1981 to negotiate a diplomatic solution to the contested sovereignty of the

. The then Governor of the islands,

Sir Rex Hunt Sir Rex Masterman Hunt, (29 June 1926 – 11 November 2012) was a British Government diplomat and colonial administrator. He was Governor, Commander-in-Chief, and Vice Admiral of the Falkland Islands (and concurrently High Commissioner of th ...

, described as 'Churchillian' a Falklands radio broadcast by Monk on 2 January 1981. After the Falklands War of 1982, Monk was elected by Falkland Islanders to be the first Falkland Islands Government Representative in the UK, a role in which he enjoyed widespread media coverage around the world. He was once referred to as the "only real politician in the Falkland Islands". He died on 5 March 2004 in his retirement in Wales.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Monk, Adrian Falkland Islands politicians 1917 births 2004 deaths People from Midsomer Norton Falkland Islands Councillors 1981–1985 Members of the Legislative Council of the Falkland Islands Falklands War