UK’s overseas minister returns to work

James Duddridge

(CNS): The FCO minister James Duddridge is back at his post dealing with the overseas territories. The junior minister in the Foreign Office was off the job for a significant part of the year due ill health but UK officials have confirmed that the Conservative MP for Rochford and Southend East took up his full portfolio again a few weeks ago. Grant Shapps, who took over the overseas territories for Duddridge and who visited Cayman in August, has gone back to his post as the minister of state for international development.

This means that the Cayman Islands Government delegation will be meeting with Duddridge when they go to London next month for the annual Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council (JMC). Although the UK minister has not yet visited Cayman, he has met several members of the PPM-led administration on their previous trips to London.

So far Duddridge has made no public comment regarding the big issues in Cayman, in particular the proposed cruise project and the speculative $300 million price tag. When Shapps was here, he appeared to support the project — a sentiment echoed by the governor this week when she too pointed to Shapps’ comments when he visited Cayman.

Ultimately, the FCO’s position on the proposal will come down to whether or not they are convinced the financing model that the CIG manages to secure to build the controversial piers is affordable and presents any possible contingent liability to the UK’s coffers.