No-deal Brexit on JMC agenda
(CNS): The UK minister responsible for its overseas territories revealed that discussions on contingencies for a no-deal Brexit will be on the agenda at the forthcoming Joint Ministerial Council in London later this year. Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon told an audience of territory leaders and other delegates at the first-ever UK/OT Trade Summit that Britain was absolutely committed to a secure outcome in the trade negotiations with the EU once it finally breaks its near-four-decades-long relationship with Europe.
The minister spoke about the “British family” and partnerships, making the most of global opportunities and trade between the UK and its territories.
But there was no getting away from the turmoil and significant uncertainties of the UK political scene and the continued Brexit challenge. While Lord Ahmad touted his own credentials regarding the importance of trade and prosperity, and his support for the territories to share in the global opportunities that would present themselves as a result of Brexit, everyone in the audience was well aware that by November, when the overseas territories leaders go to London, the minister may no longer be in his current job or even in government at all.
Although he claimed to be close friends with both Boris Johnson, the favourite to become prime minister at the end of next month, and Jeremy Hunt, his last remaining challenger, the make-up of the next UK cabinet is unknown. There are also many questions as to how long the Conservative minority government can even hold onto power after the change in Tory leadership.
Nevertheless, the Tory peer tried to maintain a positive note about the UK’s partnership with the territories and welcomed the inaugural summit as a way to deepen that partnership in the future.
Premier Alden McLaughlin, who opened the summit, struck a different note in his address from the concerns about the current relationships of the territories with the UK, raised during Wednesday’s pre-JMC meeting. Yesterday territory leaders were clearly worried about the potential return to colonial attitudes by the UK, but by Thursday morning the premier described the relationship between Cayman and the UK over the last 60 years as one of “onward progress”.
He said that “words have consequences and the shifting nomenclature – from colonies to dependencies to finally being recognised as ‘overseas’ – matters. In my view, it marks the increasing maturity of our relationship.”
The premier urged the territory leaders, as they faced the uncertainty of Brexit, to embrace the development of the Global Britain Initiative.
“The UK has shown itself to be willing to open doors for us and to offer support and expertise but it is down to us in the territories to put ourselves in a position to exploit the opportunities that our membership of the UK family brings,” he said. “This summit is designed to be a catalyst for that thinking as we develop our mutual understanding of both the current picture and of the key areas for potential development.”
The premier said that the UK and the territories had shown the resilience and flexibility to adapt and develop the relationship over many decades and that were all at their strongest when acting together.
Category: Politics
UK have turned into a muslim loving refugee hoarding terrorist breeding ground. I don’t have a drop of respect for such vile places on earth.
6.05am I can’t make out whether you are a Caymanian or a Brit!.
“UK have” is the tell.
Trolling!
Further to lecturing on nomenclature and “words have consequences”, isn’t it telling, that of all the verbs Alden might have used to describe Cayman’s (and Territorial Dependancies) subordinate dependent relationship(s) with the UK, Alden’s first thoughts ran to our collective need “to exploit”. Not to collaborate, or to partner…but to exploit.
Does he apply the concept of “ words have consequences” to his own personal dealings or is it simply an abstract concept for him?
Alden was on point. Yes, we must position ourselves politically and economically to accommodate any change in UK direction towards its OTs. We should expect the next UK Conservative Government under Boris Johnson to create and exercise policies which will further the fundamental sentiments behind Brexit, hard or soft deal, i.e. more to the right. Thereafter depends on their next general election.
Meanwhile, Moron Trump will win another term and US and UK, Italy,Hungary, Argentina will become the “forerunners” to a change in world order towards neo-fascism. I haven’t quite figured out if the OTs will fit in the UK’s positioning, in that world.
These discussions at JMC look like collective “viability of independence” meetings – time to go solo! We’re not politically mature enough for that now so I trust there will be a reasonable time limit “discussed” by Mother.
Trump, Boris or not, Cayman needs mature political thinking and direction to benefit the majority of the under-served, who have no other options, and others who choose to also benefit but have other options.
We can no longer accept “pay-for-play” or cronyism and “brotherhood” mentality driving the primary aspects of governance. Constituents need to shed the culture of expectations from their political campaigner/candidate of “what can you do for me” (financial handouts and political favours), instead of “what can you do for us” (good education/vocational programs, more inclusion in Cayman’s benefits, social advancement). Political campaigners, candidates need to respect the fact that they will become, or are, the servants of the people who elect them, not their lords and masters! Political representatives and the civil servants who administer their policies need to be honest to Cayman and its people, first and foremost, and respect the public’s expectations, needs and time, in a professional, ethical and efficient manner.
While we need to outgrow our “small” mentalities and think globally for the future, there are a lot of changes we need to implement now, starting with the culture of our political system and what we expect of it. Without honest changes we’ll be one of the most corrupt places of our size anywhere and the only Caymanians who will benefit are the ones who can pay! Hmm, seems like we’re there now!
No deal would be a triumph. For ignorance, racism and the nearly dead.
A triumph? Yep – For the democratic principle whereby the will expressed by the majority prevails as opposed to you personal and in your view superior, more educated and more worldly view? Hey why not just stop people below a certain income threshold, formal education standard or over a certain age voting? Or you should have a veto when the sub class gets it wrong?
The increasingly ominous “no deal” probability, stands to regress the UK economy, food supply, and non-divorced UK industries into a state of chaos and interruption unseen since the Battle of Britain. To pretend that won’t have reverberation impacts on exploitive Overseas territories is delusional. When it unfolds, it will have been authored by ignorant ego-driven MPs that stoked misinformation campaigns to secure the Brexit outcome. This isn’t speculation, we already know this.
Indeed, first the price of condos will increase as more flee London ..next more capital controls under the guise of AML/
sounds about right, well said.
Yes!
I quite agree: voting should be restricted to those males over thirty with tertiary education.
Everything went downhill after the Great Reform Act.
Oh stop it with your silliness. They had a referendum, remember? Everyones’ vote counted, as yours did.
But people such as Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt and the rest of the merry gang of Little Englanders lied to the public about the economic consequences of BREXIT.
It will not be a bed of economic roses but a bed of economic thorns as well as Scotland and Northern Ireland leaving the U.K.
Well I thought David Cameron, George Osborne, the IMF, the Bank of England et al, all stated to the public before the referendum, that if the country voted leave, the next day there would be massive economic consequences to the UK which would require an emergency budget! As with planes falling out of the sky at the turn of the millennium, it never happened! I suppose the remainers will blame Brexit for the fact that Ford is cutting car production in the whole of Europe, as well!
If Brexit breaks up the Union, who really cares? The Scots can have the Euro, sell their oil in a poor market and trade freely with Europe. Oh! but the overwhelming majority of Scotland and Ireland’s trade is with the UK – leave at your peril Scotland and N. Ireland….