Temp UK minister takes on overseas territories
Grant Shapps
(CNS): The UK’s junior foreign office minister with responsibility for the overseas territories has been temporarily replaced after being admitted to hospital. James Duddridge’s portfolio has been taken over by Grant Shapps, who is currently a junior minister with responsibility for international development. Duddridge (43) has fallen ill again following a gall bladder operation last year.
The MP for Rochford and Southend East since 2005, Duddridge was appointed as parliamentary undersecretary of state at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 2014. Although he was said to have been making a good recovery following surgery, he has suffered a setback and was readmitted to hospital last week.
UK Prime Minister David Cameron had sacked Shapps, the former Tory party chairman, from the cabinet in his post-election reshuffle. But according to the UK press, he has now added Duddridge’s responsibilities to his existing portfolio at the ministry for international development, including the overseas territories.
Shapps attracted controversy before the election when he was forced to admit that he had worked a second job as a multi-million dollar web marketer under the pseudonym Michael Green for at least year after he first became an MP.
Category: Politics, UK, World News
Speaks volumes about what UK Government thinks of the Cayman Islands; and Alden is bending over backwards to please them!!??
From the time when the UK government appointed an ex-Anglican vicar MP (Chris Bryant) that was caught advertising for sex by posting naked photos on gay websites as head of Cayman and the other overseas territories – we got the message what the “mother country” thinks of us.
Therefore, excuse us if we no longer bat an eyelid at the corrupt, immoral shit-house that is the UK ministerial government.
– Whodatis
Bigoted somewhat Whodatis? I have always thought your posts were pretty idiotic but I didn’t think you were into the “bash queers” brigade.
I simply stated facts. If you process said facts as “queer bashing” then maybe you ought to examine your own mindset buddy.
Regardless, I am more concerned about the musical chairs nature of the position than the actual rotated individuals. Clearly they are many twisted and crooked British MP’s so it is to be expected I guess. Case in point.
I am baffled how the poster could call you comments as gay bashing. Talk about over- reacting!! But to get to the point of your post you liked me are not alarmed. The. UK is as lame as can be, don’t worry they will soon become irrelevant in there parts.
I say Cayman need to be come independent from mother England!. Come on guys mr premier lets do this!!
Hey Island Girl,
I could say the sky is blue and would be accused of bigotry by many on this website – there is some history and context of which you may be unaware.
However, thank you for the support and taking the time to defend lil ol me – much appreciated.
Re the relevancy of the UK; Unless the USA instructs them to provide backup on some illegal invasion or natural-resource grabbing motivated toppling of some “evil dictator” – then they are basically irrelevant in the world today. Hence their obsession with all things Caymanian and colonial … in 2015.
– Who
Yes how dare they put a gay man in charge of us! what an insult!
the fact you think it is an insult is your bigotory.
Anon 8:26 and 11:20, You Sir/Madam, obviously have a problem with understanding the written English language.
Having read and understood Whodatis’ post, what is written is that Mr. Bryant is an ex-Anglican Vicar who POSTED nude pictures of himself on a gay WEBSITE…………not that Mr. Bryant was himself gay.
Perhaps if you had information that confirms YOUR assertion that Mr. Bryant is gay, you should have the class to keep it to yourself.
No one on CNS asked you to disclose anything about Mr. Bryant’s sexuality!
The person I see as a bigoted and accusing Mr. Bryant of being gay or “queer”………is YOU!
Oh … my … goodness.
Well, that’s you told buddy.
Cheers to you WaYaSay!
– Who
Your assumptions of my mindset have led to your interpretation of my words.
I will leave you to your own devices.
– Who
It is gay bashing as you are implying that it is an insult to Cayman to have a Gay man appointed as minister, pretty obvious. the fact you cannot see that just shows how bad your bigotory is
@Whodatis
You’re right. In the last two decades the UK government has made only one half-hearted attempt at appointing an OT minister who was not only completely honest but didn’t take crap from anybody – that was Henry Bellingham in 2010.
When Bellingham was canned after he got too close to some of the more unsavoury aspects of his job (he was due to meet with John Evans to discuss Operation Tempura the week he was sacked) his replacement boasted a track record that was at best questionable.
The bottom line is that the job of OT minister is a bit of joke in the UK.
Yes, very true.
500 years on and the British government is still employing the same old tactics. It is archaic and pathetic.
Personally, I have zero respect for the supposed affiliation between us and them.
To those that will surely now throw out the “independence” card – I say, “gladly”.
#jamaicabogeymancantscareme
Independence is not the first and last option. There is always the option of a referendum to become an overseas territory to another country with a similar mindset as Cayman.
Zimbabwe, Laos or Myanmar may be interested.
Right on Brother!
The first blow has been struck in words ten feet high.
We stand with you in your struggle against Imperialist reality.
Let it be known that every man, apart from one who has a bad back, and women, stand behind you and can be called on at short notice, once the committee has met and forwarded a motion.
They’ve bled us dry, siblings, and in return, what has the UK ever done for us?
Typical UK double standards. Had that happened in an OT they would have come in and taken over the Government like they did in TCI. But what’s new? Double standards have been their style for 400+ years!!
No comments Caymanians? A man who was sacked by his own Prime Minister now has responsibility for the Cayman Islands? Where are the comments on [the] 5 star hotels and steaks he must have had while working in marketing under a false name? Caymanians ok with that because he British? How hypocritical can be get?
Just checked with some people. Double dipping is not illegal in the Cayman Islands, neither is running your own business in work time. Just in case there are any awkward questions he can say now that he will give the money back and then it is not illegal.
He good man.
It is minor position for a minor politician. More an irritant than part of a portfolio.
Cayman entertains & supports criminals everyday; so, what’s new?
Our politians have a lot of answering yo do. For the majority, I predict their tenure in the CIG (as the peoples representatives) will by short lived. They better start putting out their resumes for employment elsewhere.
Major Developers, Big Banks & Fund Services, Corporate Cayman tycoons are all good places to start!
There are hardly any Caymanians who know Grant Shapps. There are hardly any Caymanians who do not know Jeff Webb.
Grant Shapps is irrelevant to the majority of Caymanians. Jeff Webb has let Caymanians down badly on a global scale.
It is not the 5 star hotels and steak dinners embarrassing Caymanians, it is the criminal behaviour of Jeff Webb.
How you have the nerve to call anyone hypocritical is beyond me. Jeff Webb swept to power in CONCACAF on the back of pledges to address and remove criminal behaviour and improve transparency and look where he is now.
The UK Representatives have not done me any wrong, the wrongs were carried out by all my fellow Caymanians, making the policies.
What is worse, they are acting like they’re ‘white’ in a world still controlled by white men (whodatis, I agree with you on that one point) and thinking all white men behave in a certain manner.
Then when they get caught they want to say the rest of us, living within our means, staying humble and honest, to spend our nights praying for their corrupt, unethical standards and behaviour and that they are ‘declared innocent’???
Really PRAY they all get caught and thrown off their high horse for what they have done to this place.
I’m sure whodatis XXXXX truly believes if we were to be independent from the UK, yes these little islands with no resources, not even labour we can call our own, would survive in a white-man’s global controlled period?? And our power hungry Caymanian leaders and business men buy that crap up too!!!!!!!!!
Give it a try and find out,
I find the first 4 paragraphs of your post very, very interesting. It was a bit confusing at first but I got the gist of it in the end.
Regarding your final paragraph, your caution is absolutely warranted – and that is the saddest thing of all in my opinion. The year is 2015 and according to the official, “western” doctrines, the present era represents the most fair and balanced for all people in the world – but clearly it is a bullshit covered lie.
Unfortunately, those willing to admit or acknowledge this fact are in the major minority.
Nevertheless, there are workarounds, none of which I will explore here of course, however it is an indictment on the colonial powers that be of either their gross mismanagement or blatant manipulation to preserve the centuries old status quo … or maybe both.
– Whodatis
P.S. I am intrigued to know what was censored via the “XXXXX”. CNS, if you would be so kind please forward to the email address on file.
Alternatively, the author can pm me via other means. I ain’t hard to find.
😀