Baroness commits to championing OT interests

| 25/07/2016 | 16 Comments
Cayman News Service

Baroness Anelay

(CNS): The new minister for British Overseas Territories, Baroness Anelay, has said she plans to champion the interests of the BOTs across Whitehall in the face of the uncertainties presented by the referendum result last month for the UK to exit the European Union. The premier has already written to the new minister inviting her to visit the Cayman Islands, either on official business or a holiday, and acknowledging her correspondence to the BOT leaders this week, in which she recognised the implication of ‘Brexit’ for the territories that have wide-ranging relationships with the EU.

The Zika virus was a major topic this week at the pre-Joint Ministerial Council (JMC) meeting in the Turks and Caicos Islands, where five cases of Zika were very recently confirmed. However, the main issue right now for the territories is how Britain’s departure from the EU will affect them.

In his letter to Baroness Anelay, Alden McLaughlin said the territories were “an integral part” of the UK and its history and people here were “proud of our connection to Britain”. McLaughlin said he hoped that the meeting in London later this year with the British government and the territory leaders would “address areas of common interest and continue to improve the UK’s understanding of our aspirations and priorities”.

The implications of the referendum and what Britain is calling an “opportunity to recalibrate our valuable relationships”, however, remain at the centre of the questions the territories now have.

Given the fact that British Prime Minister Theresa May appears to want to delay triggering Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty to formally begin exit talks until the new year, when the territory leaders gather in London in November for the Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council meeting, it is unlikely that the uncertainties will have abated or that there will be any answers to the BOT’s pressing questions.

Britain itself is also wondering what happens now. Although there has been much talk both before and since the referendum about the possibilities of the UK forming new relationships with its old colonies and the Commonwealth, what that actually means, especially for the territories that are still ruled by the UK, remains a mystery.

Nevertheless, in her letter the new minister commits to the territories and points to the JMC meeting as the official political forum for communication.

She wrote, “The previous prime minister made clear our commitment fully to involve the Overseas Territories as we prepare for negotiations to exit the EU, in line with your various constitutional relationships with the UK,” she wrote in her letter to the territory leaders on 20 July. “As minister I will continue to champion the interests of the Overseas Territories across Whitehall to ensure your interests are fully taken into account.”

Letter from Baroness Anelay to BOT Leaders, 20 July 2016

Letter from Premier Alden McLaughlin to Baroness Alenay, 20 July 2016

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Category: Politics

Comments (16)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Perhaps the Caymans might want to develop its own economy rather than living as a parasite sucking tax revenues for the poor and needy for the benefit of the world’s greedy rich. Just a thought.

  2. Kenny says:

    The financial sector has been under attack for 20 years and will be around for another 20 years of attacks.

  3. Anonymous says:

    Believe me, Cayman’s questions in regard to Brexit are inconsequential and of no value within the EU negotiations. However, Cayman maybe thrown under the bus when it comes to the EU blacklist and other EU intentions for financial control of individual states affairs.
    Cayman or access to the single market, guess which way that vote will go? Alas, Cayman is just not that important, so Cayman will be mere spot in need of a scratch when it comes to negotiating what’s in a post Brexit UK’s interest.
    Blame those Remainers who wanted federalism and centralist control from Brussels, after all, it is their precious EU Commision that will do for Cayman’s financial services sector as they become more and more dictatorial over EU fiscal policy.

    • Anonymous says:

      You may think we are a “mere spot to itch”, but the majority of them have huge bank accounts here feasting off this Tax Avoidance Jurisdiction aka Tax Haven! Think again.

  4. Anonymous says:

    Championing BOT’s is one thing, however being a tax haven is quite another.
    In the UK there is an ongoing debate in regard to the collapse of a major high street shopping brand, BHS.
    It’s one time owner, billionaire Philip Green, is under huge pressure to inject over £500m into its collapsing pension fund. However, the odious Mr Green’s nefarious business affairs have attracted some very sharp criticism from MP’s and are now on the new PM’s radar.
    It is being reported today that Green moved the massive amounts of money he took from BHS to a tax haven, possibly Monaco, so as to avoid paying his share of tax into the UK Treasury. It’s true, he appears to have done nothing illegal, but is it moral and justifiable when so many low paid workers have been financially ruined and made unemployed by his dodgy business practices?

    Theresa May has ordered an investigation into tax havens and how wealthy individuals and corporations can be stopped from depositing massive amounts of cash without paying a full share of UK tax. If the government get their way, (and they have massive public support) this will have huge repercussions for Cayman. So Cayman should not confuse support with the determination of the U.K. and other governments around the world, to stamp out massive examples of tax avoidance and evasion.
    This is serious folks, the financial services industry is involved in a slow motion car crash that is getting faster year on year. The gravy train is coming to the end of the line and you better have something else up your sleeves to replace it with because all the platitudes in the world won’t pay the bills.

    • Anonymous says:

      I for one would prefer for this Tax Avoidance Jurisdiction aka Tax Haven to crash and burn, and bring in the Casino and a National Lottery as an industry because that would give everyone an equal opportunity to make money, not how it is now, only a certain group controlled by a certain other group can make money in this country, keeping the Caymanians out of any an every opportunity to be successful and gain some financial stance. Like the Real Estate, the CIREBA Trade Union has that all locked down, and the Independent Realtors don’t stand a chance. Find one IR that has their sign on a 7mile development property. Boggy Sands development refuses to invite Independent Realtors, only has CIREBA agents out there. It is unfair to the rest of those in the industry. We will see soon enough who will prosper and who will crash and burn. Caymanians refuse to be outnumbered, and so they are going to make some sweeping changes in the near future. Wait for it.

  5. Anonymous says:

    Has she not seen the report on Onetainment?
    ALDEN IS THE BEST PRIME MINISTER IN THE WORLD ……………Give us our independence already! Lol.

  6. Anonymous says:

    We have seen them come and go. He won’t be any different.

  7. 345 says:

    If she is so committed to the OT, why did she not use her power to allow us to vote?

  8. Anonymous says:

    This is an interesting person. I have done some research. Although she claims to be conservative, she is most definitely progressive.
    Her university path is classic left and she is a massive proponent for transgender and all the other flavours, LGBTQ.
    She has been married many years and has no children.

    As with all trees, they are known by their fruit. Let’s see what happens. There’s not much we can do about it anyway.

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