British MPs to meet press for 15 minutes

| 02/08/2018 | 58 Comments
Cayman News Service

Andrew Rosindell in the House of Commons

(CNS) UPDATED: Government officials have now confirmed that four visiting MPs will meet the press Friday for 15 minutes after what was shaping up to be a stealth visit. CNS reported yesterday that we had been unable to get anyone in government to confirm when the visiting British politicians were arriving or where they would be at any given time during their four-day trip. While the premier’s office had announced the visit Wednesday, no official had  been prepared to confirm any details, even their arrival date.

In the wake of that CNS report, at 11:30 Friday morning Government Information Services revealed the hastily planned press briefing.

The MPs are members of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the Cayman Islands and they are all members of the Conservative Party. According to a press release, the purpose of their visit is to  “learn directly about the Cayman Islands, its people, culture and economy”.

Andrew Rosindell, Henry Smith, Col. Bob Stewart and Martin Vickers will meet politicians, government officials, as well as representatives from the Chamber of Commerce and the financial services and tourism sectors and are being escorted by Eric Bush, Cayman’s UK representative.

In the release from his office, Premier Alden McLaughlin said the visit was part of his government’s political engagement with British parliamentarians to create and maintain positive working relationships.

“It is of paramount importance that we have UK lawmakers visit the Cayman Islands first-hand, speak to our people and appreciate that there is more to these three islands than is portrayed in films, books and in the media. I am hoping by the end of their short visit they will gain some insight into the many facets of Cayman’s culture, history and our economic drivers,” said McLaughlin. “I hope they also appreciate that we have an ambitious and effective government that works hard to improve the quality of life of ordinary Caymanians.”

Any CNS readers who would like to pose a specific question to these MPs, given that the press is the representative of the people, can post it in the comments below. Based on the submissions and general public interest, we will endeavor to pose the questions and get answers, despite the extremely limited time given.

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Category: Politics

Comments (58)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Ohh. Let’s have a look see:
    Aside from the AWOL Governor and competing petitions for power plays, there is
    Legislative – Separation of powers dissolved. Political, Administrative and Executive sectors now melded together with the Private Sector.
    Education – 1 school with a $10+MIL bill and unsustainable upkeep costs. The other one is a danger zone.
    Health – Insurance premiums that are higher than the benefits. Private and public sectors in active competition. Private enforcers targeting hospital debts.
    Security – dubious at best. A 1$MIL boat rehaul. Foreign officers outnumber locals. Missing drugs and vehicles from lockups! Corruption Investigators want tazers and batons.
    New Airport costs – Stratospheric.
    Natl Finances/Cost of Living – Unspeakable!
    Etccc

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  2. Anonymous says:

    Not a single well thought out question offered here. Only a sad display of backbiting. CNS, I hope you have received some by alternative routes.

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  3. Anonymous says:

    Work hard to improve the life of ordinary caymanians = free hand outs via NAU. I hope they see there’s no real mechanism to upskill those that need it so they can provide for themselves because then politicians here won’t be able to buy votes every four years.

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  4. Anonymous says:

    So much hate and jealous being spilled on this site. I wonder what your children would think if they read what mommy and daddy was saying about other people.

    I was thought to respect others and to do onto others as you would like done to you.

    Have a think about that.

    Shame on all of you. Stop complaining and actually do something to make Cayman better!! Train a Caymanian, take on a mentee join a service club. Volunteer to help someone in need.

    You achieve nothing spewing negative comments on everything. I will say a prayer for all of you, God knows you need it.

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  5. Anonymous says:

    Cayman 27 reported on Wednesday evening that the MP’s would be in town so I don’t think it was a stealth visit.

    CNS: As noted in this CNS report, the fact that they were coming was announced by the premier’s office on Wednesday (and the details in that release are included) but no details about the visit were given (as explained above) and none of our questions were answered. That’s the stealth part.

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  6. Transparency all right !? says:

    The lack of transparency is very worry some. Yes please ask them what is going on with our former Governor investigations and how they feel about having a Caymanian for Governor. Also tell them that Caymanians feel and are treated like 2nd class citizen and NO all is not well with this corrupted Government and their croonies. Alden & Co. we don’t want no $300 millions dock because when crime get so bad at the rate we going, the cruise ships won’t want to come here no more.

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  7. Anonymous says:

    PPM has become a “Government to DISTRUST”.

    At one time the PPM were a government we could trust, they have now morphed into the government we distrusted.

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  8. Anonymous says:

    Mr. Premeir make sure too carry the UK politicians to visit the fish market in George Town also visit the poorer areas in George Town such as Dog City, Banana Walk, snd Monkey Town and allow them too talk to the people there one on one for 15 minutes. Governor Choudhury did it he did better than our own cayman politicians every four years they can be seen around the locals like beggers seeking votes and if they become a politician they forget all about their voters again until the next four years.

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  9. Mike says:

    All four MPs visiting are Conservative Party members, yet they are supposed to be members of The All Party Parliamentary Group! I find that a little strange. Is having no opposition Labour Party representation a way of preventing arkward questions being asked in question time in Parliament? Looks tactical to me! Keeping the lid on whatever as usual.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Be very thankful that is the case! Under Corbyn Labour would destroy the financial structure of the Cayman Islands.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Corbyn will almost certainly be the next PM when Teresa May is done shitting the “Brexit bed”

        Instead of insulting and deriding Mr Corbyn perhaps we should look to get into his good books

        Just a thought

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        • Anonymous says:

          Get real you idiot. He’s an anti Semitic loser who will drive the UK into the ground.

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          • Anonymous says:

            You 11.24 pm are simply regurgitating the Conservative Party / Jewish lobby propoganda. Mr. Corbyn is extremely principled, and simply speaks up for the Palestinian people who were expelled from their ancestral land by Britain et al many years ago in order to give the Jews a place to call home. I call that ethnic cleansing, and political engineering. Mr Corbyn, like him or not, is guided by human rights principles and decency, and is the only Brit politician with the balls to call a spade a spade on this historical issue. For that he incurs the wrath of the powerful Jewish lobby, readily aided and abetted by Conservatives seeking to damage Corbyn at any price. If you need truthful history lessons on this, do not read the slanted British version of this history, but read widely, then draw your own intelligent conclusions! Give it a try, you might like it!!!

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            • Anonymous says:

              Very well said.

              – Whodatis

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              • Anonymous says:

                So Whodatis finally shows his true colours as an anti semite.
                Corbyn is a very dangerous man and an apologist for terrorists, both international and domestic.
                So you side with Iran, Hezbullah and the rest of the holocaust deniers, including the Nazis. Well done you.

            • Anonymous says:

              It always was the Jewish homeland you idiot. Read the bible.

            • Anonymous says:

              I’ve lived with Corbyn and his Trotsky politics for several decades and can reassure you that this man is anything but principled, unless you think communists are the friends of democracy.
              He is the architect of anti Semitic policies within his Labour Party and a true apologist for terrorism.
              So don’t lecture me on this ‘principled’ man who you don’t know from anything but news forums and online drivel. I’ve lived through his catostrophic policies in local London politics and he isn’t what he fools you into believing he is.

          • Mike says:

            11.24 pm do you mean take over when Conservatives collapse in a pile, and finish off what May is already doing? Ha ha. Get up to speed on your reading, and, oh, take your blinkers off!

          • Anonymous says:

            Corbyn is not anti-Semitic. He has had the guts to do the hard thing and not cave in to pressure to be silenced by those pushing the evil agenda of the extremist Netanyahu that criticising his government or criticising Israel and its terrorist abuse of the Palestinian people is somehow anti-Semitic because the people who are the subject of the criticism say it is anti-Semitic.

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  10. Anonymous says:

    Tea and crompets anyone?

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  11. Anonymous says:

    Alden “The Destroyer” McLaughlin is aptly named. Dismantled a perfectly fine place.
    Cannot wait for karma.

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  12. Anonymous says:

    Not quite a “stealth” visit. I personally knew they were coming well over a week ago, they were at a reception at Watercolours on Thursday night to coincide with small public event on the beach at sunset (the release of a hundred or so turtle hatchlings).

    I am no one special and I knew, as did several of my coworkers.

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  13. Conspiracy ??? says:

    Could it be – a type of bilderbergs meeting happening in the Brac with government leaders? Perhaps discussions with MPs will be covert and about issues like the Governor, the media, and Independence. Hmmm … just connecting the dots ????

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    • Anonymous says:

      Jesus christ

      yep lets run with the globalists meeting on the Brac
      while we are at it buy my super male vitality supplements

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      • Anonymous says:

        Leave the Lord out of this.

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        • No Nonsense Caymanian! says:

          Jesus is not Lord. He may have been a teacher or prophet, but from a little boy my grandmother told me, nobody can see God and live! And she never attended Church. A good woman. So I know Jesus is under God!

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    • Anonymous says:

      Dem sizing up the benefits when they impose direct British rule on the natives.

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  14. Anonymous says:

    Saw Eric Bush on flight from London and a few protocol officers welcoming at airport when we landed yesterday.

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    • West Bay Premier says:

      If those MPs are on the Island today , they will not talking to you the little people , but to get their attention , why don’t you people quickly organize a few hundred people and protest to bring back Mr. Choudhury and send back Mr. Forbes. So they can get the full picture of the Island . Facebook and your keyboard can do wonders .

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  15. Cayman Poor People Movement says:

    Aaah but that’s you Alden a government run by the few in secret. The new Governor must have been a five alarm fire eh! No coincidence that he is now gone either eh DG & Mattchew! God forbid they should learn just how badly this place is being run and managed by the FCO and their corporate sponsors! Have you shown them how much DART owns and who he owns Unity Govt ??

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  16. Anonymous says:

    They won’t tell when the MP’s will be here. They don’t want people protesting during the trip, showing the MP’s that all is not well here.

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  17. Anonymous says:

    Why is this a “stealth visit”, exactly? We know who is coming, what they will be doing and who with, and thanks to an official press release… Isn’t it possible that in the current circumstances, the process of the small local press asking these MPs an entirely predictable set of questions to which they’ll give perfectly meaningless replies, is not necessary or desirable?

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  18. Anonymous says:

    They arrived on BA 253 tonight, 2nd August 2018.

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  19. Anonymous says:

    Alden – “I hope they also appreciate that we have an ambitious and effective government that works hard to improve the quality of life of ordinary Caymanians.”

    Oh yes the government does a good job… *snicker*..

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    • West Bay Premier says:

      I think that all of the shit of having the Governor recalled , and a petition to make Mr Manderson Governor has backfired , and the visit of these MPs is just to smoothing things out and try to make them politicians involved look good .
      I hope that everyone remember that this debacle is the dirtiest and nastiest act that has happened in the history of the Cayman Islands .

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  20. Anonymous says:

    Why are 25 year permits still being given then despite the change in the law to correct the anomaly?

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  21. Anonymous says:

    Utter waste of tax payers money, this is an old and useless habit which has yield nothing. The current situation on beneficial ownership clearly demonstration this. Cayman needs a change in the type of leadership and the model of governance that is evidently no longer working to the country’s benefit. I can assure you they will spend much of their time following their own agenda of a nice holiday and meeting those who are useful to their business and political interests. As for Eric Bush well lets just say a trip to the prison might be a good idea for him to demonstrate his management skills. Suppose there is a new PR agency to be retained as well so Eric can get a table at all of the London top restaurants to entertain his friends and family at tax payers expense and gain nothing for the Cayman people. Better yet why not visit him Dad hard at work on the Port Authority Board to truly demonstrate good governance and management practices ……

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  22. Anonymous says:

    Hmmmm very interesting!!!!!

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  23. Anonymous says:

    Improve the quality of life of ordinary Caymanians? Really, I’ll wait to see it? It’s taking a very very long time Alden.

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    • Anonymous says:

      I don’t see why there is any need to worry about the quality of life of those that maintain a parasitic system that feeds of the immoral rich stealing tax income to help the young, the old, the ill and the needy.

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  24. Anna says:

    Excellent. Keep up the good work Alden!

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  25. FFS says:

    Transparency Alden style

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  26. Anonymous says:

    Look on the compass they will tell you.
    Ps compass in the pocket of the government, Legge is a joke

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  27. Anonymous says:

    Works hard to improve the quality of life for the average caymanians nursing them on welfare, giving them no hope, motivation and use them every four years. Then turn their backs on them that just the good way too tell them to kiss their asses. Those English people ain’t fool, fool. Hope they bring the undercover FBI’s with them that not even the politicians would know them. Make them get so comfortable and fall in the whisky trap.

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  28. Anonymous says:

    Good Hope that they will learn all they can about the government party and study them with a fine tooth comb and get them straighten out before they try to straighten any other issues in the Cayman Islands.

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