Premier: UK central to Cayman’s success
(CNS): Since the “winds of change” began blowing and the UK started the process of decolonization, its willingness to maintain its help and support for its former colonies over the years has been an important factor in the future of the countries it once occupied, including the Cayman Islands, the premier said this weekend, as he lauded the relationship with Britain. He said Cayman’s relationship with the UK has been absolutely central to its prosperity over the last 60 years.
“Whether it has been through the Commonwealth or through what is now United Kingdom Overseas Territories Association, the UK has been steadfast in its role and the benefit that we all have received as part of the global Britain family has been truly significant,” Premier Alden McLaughlin stated at the start of this weekend’s celebrations for the 60th anniversary of the Cayman Islands Constitution.
“Of course, as in all families, we have had our disagreements through those years, but we have always found that the values that bind us together have been stronger than the occasional challenges that have threatened to drive us apart,” he added.
There are several ongoing challenges in Cayman’s relationship with the UK, namely the imposition of public beneficial ownership registries before it becomes a global standard, the probable future insistence that all of the territories adopt same-sex marriage legislation and the possible enforced extension of the franchise and the right to run for office to non-status holders in the overseas territories. However, these issues did nothing to dampen the premier’s warm embrace of Britain’s continued control over this and other territories in his remarks Saturday morning.
“We have been, and we remain, grateful for our links to the UK and committed to our future partnership,” McLaughlin said, as he spoke about the common history Cayman, Jamaica and the UK share as well as the connection to the British monarch.
As he outlined the history of Cayman’s constitutional position, he said that the decision to “forge our own way as a British Crown colony that allowed our own people to begin (to) make what were, clearly in retrospect, fundamental policy decisions and to pass the early laws on which we have built our tourism and financial services industries,” he stated.
He said that since 1959, Cayman’s Constitution has gone through several iterations, with the latest in 2009, and right now the government is again in constitutional talks with the UK to “enhance our ability to govern our own affairs”, as the row over what the premier last year called constitutional overreach by the UK.
But he nevertheless lauded the UK, stating that it was not just Caymanian leaders that had shaped the country’s success but also British commissioners, administrators and governors who helped make it better, as well as the link to the UK and the shared British common law system that has inspired confidence from investors.
“As three small islands, our choice to remain British was the right one for us then and, despite the tensions from time to time, I believe it continues to be the right one now,” the premier added.
Category: Politics
May 2018; Premier accuses UK of treachery;
Pointing out that the entire episode is as a result of misconceptions about offshore finance, McLaughlin said that what happened in the UK on Tuesday was “treachery”, given the work that has been going on between the Cayman Islands and the UK for years on this issue.
June 2019: “Whether it has been through the Commonwealth or through what is now United Kingdom Overseas Territories Association, the UK has been steadfast in its role and the benefit that we all have received as part of the global Britain family has been truly significant,” Premier Alden McLaughlin stated at the start of this weekend’s celebrations for the 60th anniversary of the Cayman Islands Constitution.
No inconsistency there, then. Unless of course you consider accusing your “family” member of treachery a “disagreement”. In which case arguments in the McLaughlin household must be wonderful to behold.
Talk about ‘back tracking’! Obviously the representatives of the BOTs thought that they had ‘overreached’ with their stupid analysis and comments!
Lord Ahmad politely pointed out that this was not the way to secure an OBE, let alone a knighthood! But was a sure fire way to get someone in the FCO to start inquiring into the port procurement.
Up until the 70’s, cayman seamen passing through England was giving only a few days to stay there and then we had to leave, they sure did not think much of us then, ofcourse back then Cayman didn’t have much, so it was not much they could get from us at that time, but time changes everything.
and now it’s the opposite. oh well.
Which it was the opposite
All countries have problems, including my own (UK) and including here in Cayman. if you think that even the so called “happiest places to live” in Scandinavia or Canada are free from worries then you are wrong too. Those problems change all the time too…they are never constant. However Cayman needs to be clear what it wants-that small Union Jack in the corner of the flag is the “guarantee” that makes this place a major and successful financial centre. Should Brexit happen, will the EU try to attack that even more than it has todate? Yes of course…they hate the success story here and in Bermuda, because they could never get it right themselves. So if Cayman doesn’t want the finance centre, fine, go independent and you will lose it by default. You will also lose whatever military or foreign aid that you might ever need too, and have no protection from unscrupulous politicians. However, that is entirely the choice of Caymanians, not us expats.
Expats , We will continue to make the right decisions and better yet we will ensure that nary any one of youse will ever sit in our Legislative Assembly.
Just remember folks, for the more “sparkly” people in our society. If Cayman goes independent, guess who has a snow flakes chance in hell of being able to get married here in Cayman.
So he praises being under the Jack on one hand for the stability and progress then damns it on the other because we have rules to follow. What an idiot. I’d take a few extra rules for stability than end up like almost every other independent Caribbean nation.
We badly need a “Wind of Change” in 2021. These political lightweights need to be swept from these lands For Good!
We have the greatest Premier in the world – please sir stay on as Premier as long as you want and continue to make Cayman the greatest it can ever be!
Q. What was the year that any BOT was invaded and occupied by unwelcome UK colonists, and who were the displaced residents of the time? Unless Alden is part Taino or Carib, he needs to learn to pick his words better. What is the purpose of appropriating some other culture’s centuries-displaced experience in a toast to the motherland? It’s as if he can no longer control his own misinformation cortex – it’s in runaway mode, needling everyone friend or foe for no discernible reason! More facepalms for everyone that chose him as their orator.
Are you so sure that Taino and Carib were the first humans to settle many of the Caribbean Islands?
There is no evidence of pre-Colombian settle in the Cayman Islands. Other parts of the Caribbean, yes, but not here.
Doesn’t mean that they weren’t here, even if for a short period of time. Think about it >> every island around us has a history of indigenous Indians except the Cayman Islands. Makes no sense.
We all came from east africa originally, in two immigration waves. The first one peopled what is now the far east and the second went north to europe, the arctic and into north america for the spread south to latam and the caribbean. Homo sapiens were not indiginous anywhere except Africa where they evolved.
4:27 pm, do you know east from west, no Africans slaves came from East Africa, they came from West Africa, the ships did not sail around the Cape of Good Hope to get
slaves.
God gave this island to us caymanians
9:01am, they did it to Turks and Cacauos islands a few yeats ago.
You’re so right.
We already see and live disaster with the UK politicians in charge.
Why seek more.
Ask the T & C Islanders, they will tell you
As the saying goes, if it’s not broken don’t fix it. Repaint it, restore it, clean it up but don’t “fix” it. Please I find it laughable this guy talking about a document him and just about all the other fools in the MLA have obviously never actually read or half the f*****ies that we have seen especially like the one over the weekend would not happen.
then why laud bot independence…said ut before…if cayman goes independent…i consider options and leave…can you immagine a politician in charge of judiciary and police rather than uk? disaster….
Do you have to wait that long pardna we have a lot of flights out of here every day, we would be glad to assist your departure all 17 of youse.