McLaughlin justifies trip to Commonwealth forum
Patricia Scotland QC, Secretary-General Commonwealth, and Cayman Premier Alden McLaughlin in London
(CNS): Premier Alden McLaughlin said his recent trip to London to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Conference and the related Business Form on behalf of the British Overseas Territories Association (UKOTA) gave him the chance to put Cayman on the global stage. “It is important that we use these opportunities to not only continue to build relationships within the UK but to make the wider Commonwealth membership more aware of the overseas territories generally and to see how we can benefit each other,” he said.
In a promotional video about the week-long visit to Britain, McLaughlin justified the trip, maintaining that enhancing the Cayman Islands’ profile was the “most important achievement”. He said it was important for Cayman to exploit the opportunities to increase trade and business presented by the UK’s efforts to reposition itself on the global state as it prepares to leave the European Union.
With leaders and delegates from more than 50 countries at the event McLaughlin said it presented the chance to explain what Cayman is and what it does to those attendees.
Category: Business, Financial Services
Alden McLaughlin is not a good representative of the Cayman people and Cayman values.
He has sold out to the hordes of locusts that strip our vines and hate the fact that we exist.
Such vitriolic BS with a tinge of jealousy ole fart oops I meant ole heart , my word!
Oh yeah bumble bee @3:23 he maybe what you think he maybe no pun intended, however he is HOUR Premier whether ya like it or not, so Breda take ya meat out me rice.
In truth he is simply more worried about foreign perception of him then his own people’s opinion. He’ll just find another incredibly weak riding next election….this guy is the biggest danger Cayman has faced.
The Commonwealth is just a vestige of empire, dreamed up to keep colonials onside and let starry-eyed politicos hobnob with royalty and perhaps cadge a knighthood in the process. It’s a shoddy anachronism and should be scrapped forthwith – as it will be after the queen dies. Who will want to travel thousands of miles to meet her ghastly offspring?
Thank you Premier McLaughlin for doing all the things that nobody else would do. Thank you for occasionally leaving our island, as much as possible, for flying first class to a foreign country, to wake up to a scrumptious paid-for breakfast, made especially for you by a highly-trained chef. Thank you rubbing elbows with stuffy people and patting each other on the back for being the great people that you are, thank you for drinking expensive tea and wine, and tasty little o’dourves, while being subjected to the smell of stinky perfume and rich cologne; the smell of unpicked, ripe garbage in the Cayman Islands is far superior, and I’ll take it any day over that of a $400 bottle of Eau of Toilet. Thank you for talking to these people about highly important matters, such as what is the best type of cheese, or what is the difference between a tasty mushroom and a foot fungus; surely, when our brightest minds discuss historic issues, the level of gun crime will naturally decrease by at least 60%. Thank you for lunching at expensive restaurants, despite having just earlier gorged on Salmon fillet – the Caymanian taxpayer is always willing to open up his wallet to those who are just like them, born and bred, but now, other than at election time, aloof and a lot of a donkey. Thank you for sitting in on brief meetings, having to contain that massive fart that wants to explode out of your backend, having just stuffed yourself with Steak Tartar and Caviar, as lunch blended into dinner, and you lost track of time over bottles of $200 champagne. I wish I had the time to write at greater length about this, but I have real work to do, and there are only so many hours in the day… But thank you mostly for blessing us, and coming back to the Cayman Islands, once you’ve grown tired of being chauffeured around, eating and drinking too much, and overall, being pampered to the nines. We do miss you, though on occasion we’d love it if you quit being so damn boring – that other clown gave us Daily, Exciting News! You on the other hand, put us to sleep. If only you’d take our friend WHO DAT with you – he’d have some interesting stuff to talk to dem Brits about!
Alden McLaughlin is a Freemason. That is a fact.
me too
So what? I am a freeman! The Premier should not need to justify attending the conference. It is simply another day in the office and a not to be missed opportunity to network with other heads of BOTs and countries of the Commonwealth. That is the core of it! Simple. Naysayers, detractors and nasty negative posters, have you nothing better to do? Go read an educational book or something positive.
If unna think I would be elected into office and not make a few travels around the world.
Bunch of bad minded people. If the man stay home and do nutting unna complain. If the man go hang at a little local bar they say he nah no good. If he go white man bar they say he only support white man.
Mr. Premier. Live yo life. Smoke a few. Take the trips, because no matter what you do , you nah gah be enough for dem dark minded type of people.
There is a culture that do not like to see anyone succeed.
Make those trips look good. First class and all. Send a few people ahead of you to make your arrival in those countries a Grand site. When others in the airport ask “who dat is”? Your people waiting for you can say, “Do you not know who that is? That’s the Premier of the Cayman Islands”.
Invite a journalist or 2 on the trips to cover the good stuff. The country can afford a back seat and a hotel for them. But do it with style and class.. Make the news.
In your own home you will not be noticed. So do yo ting man. Make Cayman Great again.
you alllll voted for him … and look at your comments! lol jokers! “you get what you vote for”
I sure as hell DID NOT vote for him so rephrase your “alllll statement” please.
I believe about 400+ people voted for him; and then he anointed himself as our Premier.
The photo was taken just as Scotland was explaining that she cannot be sacked because she is a black woman, so she can just keep ordering gold-plated loo seats all day for her apartment.
Probably discussing expenses claims
Is he also going to justify the other expenditures made during the trip which I am sure were luxurious and UNNECESSARY. Surely Mr. Premier slept and ate like a king while he was there. I wonder how many lunches could have been bought for the many school children who go to school daily without lunch money with what it cost him to stuff his face.
Just count your blessings…..it could have been Mac .
Same dog puppy!
One of the hotels the government uses is the Royal Horseguards Hotel, which is right in the middle of Whitehall, and walking distance from the FCO and MPs offices and short driving distances from the typical locations that the Cayman delegation will need to attend events and appointments. Yes, the good restaurants around this area are very good and you have an easier time getting into them if you’re important, and I’m sure there is an element of feeling like a big shot in taking these trips.
But we have to start being realistic about this sort of thing. High office has perks to go with the responsibilities. Everyone accepts that. If you don’t think you do, ask yourself if you are offended that your boss has a bigger office than you, or makes more money.
High office, lol.
Ever noticed how these self serving justifications always seem to begin with “it is important…..”. Important to who?
Look at who Alden mixed up wid mann i thought Mckeeva was bad Baroness Shameless meets Premier Shameful aaaah boy Cayman what a real friggin mess we are in
They already know what Cayman is.
A place we’re you hide money after you laundered it.
6:57 pm , you must mean where you wash money and hang it out .
I hope that Alden told them that Cayman Islands needs a proper garbage sanitation system badly . That would’ve been more important than what he claims to have done .
Alden looks soooo English in that picture
Our wonderful Premier looks very professional and stately as he represents us. Praise you sir and many thanks for your great leadership. Four more years!
People do not understand that Alden is a future statesman in the making for us. By now, he has every aspect of the job down. He is making real advances for Cayman in how he performs as Premier. It seems likely now that he will serve two full terms and this alone makes him a symbol of our increasing political maturity as a territory. This is a very good thing to support.
He cut a sweet deal with the gambler to get his second term and would sell his soul for personal glory no matter the costs!
No doubt that is the most ridiculous thing you have ever written, 9:49.
After all this time the Commonwealth members still need a step by step guide to explain what Cayman is and what it does??
McKeeva used to say the same rubbish when Alden used to criticize him as leader of the opposition for the constant travel and useless junkets. Ironic that Alden now acts, sounds and speaks just like McKeeva. A greater irony is that they are both now beholden to each other and propping up the unity government that keeps them relevant.
By going to the conference Alden could meet Baroness Scotland who is one of the few people more useless than he is.
They all have to get together to coordinate their individual uselessness for maximum collective uselessness.
If Alden had taken 5 minutes to speak to the people that Baroness Scotland interacted with when she was trekking out here every few months after being appointed a member of one of our institutions of good governance that his Constitution created, he would have quickly learned what a waste of time she was.
And in her new role, she has lived up to the same standard that was seen in Cayman, earning herself the nickname Baroness Shameless http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5583669/Commonwealth-chief-Baroness-Scotland-threatened-whistleblower-arranged-friends-meet-Queen.html
I guess that explains why our Premier was so happy to ‘renew my friendship’ with her; they are two of a kind. Maybe his British friends will nominate him to become a Baron and then they’ll be Baron & Baroness Shameless.
Classic case of the perils of twoferism.
While I have no facts on whether the premier’s attendance at the commonwealth meetings will be beneficial to this overseas territory, and while the Premier and I are not buddies i I have to remind everyone that he is the Premier and does not really have to justify going to such meetings, he is expected to attend. As long as we remain an overseas territory I think it behoves him to do so. Also he has proven times over that he can ably participate and really do not cause us embarrassment as some others who are “sent to represent us” Cayman needs to be seen and heard at such gatherings. The world is not perfect but we are in it and must participate and make the best of it. It is not going to slow down so we can jump off and become more insular than we are now.
Thank you.
How soon people forget. This person was at one time involved with our justice system.
She is a freeloader. There are loads of mainstream press articles about her exploits.
Alden McLaughlin is hanging with the birds of the same feather.
“Disgrace” does not even come close.