A Falkland Islands spokesman said the vote would reinforce the message that residents had the right to freely reject the Argentinian claims. He said that only a few residents, "probably those who misread the question", were expected to vote against continued ties to Britain.

"We have thought carefully about how to convey a strong message to the outside world that expresses the views of the Falklands people in a clear, democratic and incontestable way," said Gavin Short, the Speaker of the Legislative assembly said. "The Argentine government deploys misleading rhetoric that wrongly implies that we have no strong views or even that we are being held hostage by the UK military. This is simply absurd."

President Cristina Kirchner, Argentina's nationalist leader, plans to address a UN committee on decolonisation on Thursday in New York. Her views will be confronted by a delegation of Falkland residents who will publicly restate their right to remain British.

British officials have criticised the "domineering" approach pursued by Buenos Aires, including threats to island's trade by banning British flagged ships and legal pursuit of oil firms exploring for oil in its waters.

Mr Cameron said the islanders were in effect sovereign and the vote would vindicate British support for the far away territories.

"I have always said it is up to the Falkland Islanders themselves to choose whether they want to be British and that the world should listen to their views," he said. "Thirty years ago they made clear that they wanted to stay British. That's why British forces bravely liberated the island from Argentine invaders."

Since the 1982 war, which cost 255 British and 655 Argentinian lives, Falkland officials have bolstered the democratic constitution of the islands, introducing a fully elected Legislative Assembly in 2009.

Ordinary Islanders retain a romantic, deeply emotional, view of their nationality. One resident pointed out yesterday that Argentina was 400 miles from the islands, not a bordering state that was hankering after a lost slice of territory.

Jeremy Browne, the Foreign Office junior minister, who is visiting Stanley to mark the surrender, promised support for the vote. Island leaders said they would bring in outside experts to frame a fair question.

No effort would be made to stop Argentina if it mounts a campaign to woo the island voters. The number of Argentinian passport holders resident on the island is thought to be less than 30.

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Falkland Islands plan referendum 'to send a message to Argentina'