Bernie bows out of politics, gives up West Bay seat
(CNS): Bernie Bush has thrown in the political towel and confirmed that he will not be running to retain his West Bay North seat in April. After a number of failed runs for office, Bush was elected in 2013 as the third elected member for West Bay. He was returned to his current seat in 2017 as an independent member. In his first term, he served in opposition as one of the three Cayman Democratic Party MPs led by McKeeva Bush
McKeeva Bush (WBW incumbent) is the longest-serving member of parliament (the “Father of the House”), having represented West Bay continuously for three decades. More.
After the 2017 elections, he sat on the backbench of the PPM coalition government before crossing the floor in 2019 over the Progressives’ cruise port project, which he opposed.
He was re-elected again in 2021 and joined the PACT group, taking up his first ministerial post in the Ministry of Youth, Sports, Culture and Heritage. However, after the Cabinet reshuffle in November 2023, as PACT morphed into the UPM, Bush did not keep the ministry but became a parliamentary secretary. He did not hold any government position after the UPM fragmented, leaving a minority government.
However, as something of a political outsider, often described as ‘misunderstood’, Bush has ruffled official feathers, especially with his concerns about the civil service and the failure of the government’s administrative arm to develop and promote Caymanians.
He was sanctioned during his time in Cabinet and lost his home affairs portfolio in a row over the position of the fire chief. Bush said the issue is ongoing as the powers that be continue to move the goalposts to stop the real advancement of Caymanians.
An advocate for all things Caymanian during his twelve years as an MP, he has also clashed with several governors and those he sees as attempting to perpetuate the colonial attitude.
As the long-time local sports leader announced his decision to throw in the political towel during the final sitting of this current parliament Friday night, he spoke about giving his money to constituents in need.
Bush said he didn’t just give away his salary in food vouchers at election time but all the time. However, he said he had never taken outside money to use as he didn’t want that influence, and he had not served in public office for the power.
“I think its time to call it that, he said” as he reviewed the ups and downs of his political career and thanked his colleagues.
There are three contenders looking to take the open seat of WBN: Jordon Rivers, who is part of the Cayman Islands National Party; Rolston Anglin, a former MP who has not yet declared what platform he will be aligned with; and Jermaine Ebanks-Hurlston, who will be running as an independent.
West Bay North is likely to be a constituency hitting the headlines over the next four years, given that the government has entered into discussions with Dart about the future of Barkers, the last remaining untouched beach area of West Bay.
Check out the CNS Election Section interactive map to see who is running in each constituency.
See the list of candidates and their party affiliations here.
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Category: Election News
Change writes: Every constituency has the same issue when their MP becomes a minister. It is not that they stop caring about their area, but Cabinet members have no choice but to tackle issues at national level, and that takes budget, meetings, reports, travel, conference calls, sitting with lawyers to streamline bills and laws — all […]
Bernie has no damn sense and just loves to flap his gums. Does no one remember the sex talk issue that got him fired? His tongue is so disrespectful and careless that many times when I saw him coming I looked for somewhere to hide. I was afraid that I would tell him about his ignorant conversations. And to piss off
No problem with your statement 12:58pm but at least he was sober and kept his driver license! Replace by drunken yes man! how is that going to be any better???
It is a thankless job, that is for sure. You are da—ed if you do well and you are da—ed if you don’t. A big salary does not buy peace of mind so I, for one, do not blame him. I wish a couple of bullies and one not very sharp tool in the shed would do the same…
Barkers will be the major constituency question for this WBN. Given that it attracts interest from outside the voting district. It will be interesting to see what the candidates have to say about it.
Will certainly “attract interest from out side the voting district” , certainly as far away as South Africa you can be sure.
Adeptus Ridiculous’ Farewell to Bernie Bush – And a Dire Warning
“Alas, another voice departs the ever-chaotic battlefield of Caymanian politics, and with it, the island drifts ever closer to the grim tide of inevitability.
In a land where governance is often a tragicomedy of errors, where logic is a rare commodity traded in whispers and backroom deals, Bernie Bush stood as one of the few who dared to wield common sense—a weapon seemingly outlawed by the ruling factions.
He will be missed, not merely as a representative, but as a stabilizing force amidst the madness that threatens to consume all.
But now, with every departure of the competent and the principled, what remains?
A contest between those who have mastered either corruption or incompetence, where each election is less a choice and more a grim exercise in determining which disaster is preferable.
If this trend continues, we stand at the brink—not just of economic and social collapse, but of outright direct rule.
The UK, long content to let Cayman fumble about in its self-inflicted absurdities, may find itself with no choice but to intervene before the final act of this farce unfolds.
And when not if that day comes, it won’t be the voices of reason they silence—it will be the charlatans who brought us to this precipice.
May the Emperor have mercy… for we can no longer assume the choices given to the electorate will.”
Post Scriptum:
“To those who still care for the fate of these islands—let this be a wake-up call. The departure of Bernie Bush is not just the exit of a single politician; it is a symptom of a deeper rot. If the only choices left are between those who would drive us into ruin through greed and those who would do so through sheer ineptitude, then we must ask ourselves—how much longer can Cayman survive this trajectory?
The time for complacency is over. The time for action is now. Before the final pillar of sanity crumbles, before we are left at the mercy of forces beyond our control, we must demand better. Or else, history will record not only the names of the guilty but also the silence of those who let them win.”
Bernie gone will not be any loss to Cayman.
His only purpose was to be a Yes man for Mac .
Hopefully the voters will now see the idiocy of electing uneducated unemployables and make better decisions in April.
To 12:58pm: He may not be polished, but he has always been unapologetic about wanting to see deserving Caymanians get the job, the scholarship, the accolades, the first-time homes, the promotion ~ the mere opportunity to vie for any of it. He is not like Bryan, not like Saunders, certainly not like Hew. He has helped many and never boasted, but such is politics: beat drums, holler louder, promise what you do not understand, bully others, and voters just might get you elected…