UK reveals new cash and plans for territories

| 16/03/2011

(CNS): The British foreign secretary has announced his plans for a new white paper regarding the overseas territories as well as an increase in the funding the UK government allocates to the OT programme. Cash is going to a number of struggling territories, including the Turks and Caicos Islands, which will get £6.6 million. Although Cayman won’t receive any cash injections, William Hague has committed resources for the UK to work with all territories to make sure “the right controls are in place to ensure good governance and sound management of public finances,” he said in a statement in London last week.

Hague said the direct grant to TCI was to cover the costs of pursuing the corruption and crime investigation. Although he stated that the territories should finance their own investigations, this was an exceptional case.

“Mindful of the recommendations of the Foreign Affairs Committee, I have approved a discretionary grant of £6.6m to the Turks and Caicos Islands Government to reimburse the costs incurred in the past year pursuing corruption and violent crime,” Hague said in his statement, which was delivered after a debate in the UK’s House of Lords regarding the territories.

“This is for the Special Investigation and Prosecution Team; related civil recovery work; and the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police. My officials have coordinated this carefully with DFID’s work to underpin the Territory’s public finances. This is an exceptional case. Our basic principle remains that it is an integral part of good governance for a Territory government to ensure that the criminal justice system is properly funded.”

Hague warned that territories should not look to the UK to fund criminal investigations or prosecutions that they are reluctant to pursue themselves but said the rescue package put in place by DFID for TCI should enable future costs to be met from the public purse there in the normal way.

Speaking about his vision for the territories, he said it was for vibrant and flourishing communities “proudly retaining aspects of their British identity and generating wider opportunities for their people,” he stated.

Hague said the UK would continue vigorously to uphold the principle of self-determination and to ensure the security of all the territories. “We want to help the Territories plan their future in a competitive and unpredictable world. We will help Territories that are struggling economically to avoid unnecessary financial dependence on the UK,” he added.

“We are determined that the situation we have found in the Turks and Caicos Islands is not repeated, there or elsewhere. We therefore want to work with Territories to make sure the right controls are in place to ensure good governance and sound management of public finances.”

The foreign secretary also revealed plans to bring all aspects of the UK’s government’s policies on the OTs together in a new White Paper over the next year. “We will want to consult widely on this. I am working with relevant departments on a new strategy to underpin this government’s approach ,” he added.

See Hague’s full speech

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  1. Anonymous says:

    So TCI will get a roughly US$10million ‘discretionary’ payment for anti-corruption investigations but the Cayman Islands had to bear the whole cost of the disastrous Operation Tempura/Cealt from their own resources.

    Presumably the FCO reckon the TCI money is being better spent and are therefore willing to anticipate claiming at least partial credit for the results of this expenditure rather than having to bury the embarrassing mess that the Cayman investigation produced?

  2. Anonymous says:

    One of the most entertaining things about reading CNS articles on government/governance is the subtle distinction that can be observed between the posts by rich Britons/Caymanians of recent British descent who want to makes damn sure that HMG keeps its sticky fingers out of their earnings despite the trauma of having to deal with the barbaric islanders- -and the have nots from the same DNA pool, who seem to believe that if HMG were to turn up and put all the savages in jail for corruption then they might finally get the respect and the well-remunerated positions that they deserve from their rich friends. 

     

    Best of all though is when the more observant commentators on both sides do their dead on impressions of "born Caymanians," which apparently only requires systematic misspellings and a complete lack of grammar.

     

    Darlings the only people you are fooling are yourselves– and most likely HMG. Be careful what you wish for.

     

    Besties

     

  3. SM dog says:

    Cayman don’t need a democracy but Great Britain!

    It would be best for all of us to get rid of this local government altogether and shelter under the Queens Edict. That way Cayman will be “fully” under a democratic parliamentary government. Britain is more democratic than this place!

  4. Anonymous says:

    " to work with all territories to make sure “the right controls are in place to ensure good governance and sound management of public finances,”

     

    LOLOLOL  good luck with that one!!   eh Mac??

  5. Libertarian says:

    ***** British Foreign Secretary William Hague: “We want to help the Territories plan their future in a competitive and unpredictable world. We will help Territories that are struggling economically to avoid unnecessary financial dependence on the UK.” Funny, this statement comes after the reality expressed by Galmo Williams: “Our country is being invaded and re-colonised by the United Kingdom, dismantling a duly elected government and legislature and replacing it with a one-man dictatorship [the Governor]… all in the name of good governance.” See ‘The Independent’ article by Edward Helmore on 15 August 2009. Criminal investigations and prosecutions could had beendealt with by the TCI’s Judicial system. I felt that there was no justification for dissolving TCI’s elected Cabinet and Constitution. Prime Minister Michael Misick involved in corrupt dealings could have been investigated and prosecuted in his own country! To me, to declare full British rule on the entire nation, was a complete misuse of power, which undermines the process of democracy. And note the word that is so much against liberty – “dependence.” Like Hague said, “to avoid unnecessary financial dependence on the UK.” What a mess! I cannot help but not think how the former FCO Minister Chris Bryant could believe he was helping the people by turning them into dependent subjects! To me, it is also a racial thing! These people are not allowed to vote! They are striped of their democratic rights whilst their economy sinks for more UK bail-outs! Imagine… of all the governments in the world, this stuff coming from the UK! What a shame! ***** Libertarian

    • grace says:

      Libertarian, I won’t be surprise they do the same thing to us.

    • Anonymous says:

      turks are lucky… the uk came in and saved it from becoming another haiti/jamaica…

      • Anonymous says:

        Totally agree with you 15:59 the natives were sure heading down that path.
        Some people don’t like the UK, but they are enjoying the security of being under Mom.
        Boy, we are sure enjoying our British status…we dont even have to spend our money on an Army, she watches over us like a loving mom does. We got all that freedom of running our tax free businesses. Ok you blind sighted @#$% lets get rid of mom and kiss it all good bye, maybe you all have enough money to run and live somewhere else.

        A born caymanian

    • Anonymous says:

      I totally agree Libertarian and they are many on here wishing for Cayman to have direct rule from  the UK. As far as I am concerned the UK does nothing for us now and will do less if they were to impose direct rule. This is colonialism and slavery at its best. Who would want to live in a country where even the basic right of being able to elect your own government is taken away?

      As far as I am concerned the UK joined the ranks of Libya, Cuba and Venezuela when they imposed direct rule on the Turks and Caicos. They could have simply called for new general elections instead the used one corrupt individual for the opportunity to seize the territory.

       

       

      • westminz says:

        wow  I am from the uk. these are some disturbing comments. must read cns more. could our righteous parliament be so callous to allow this to happen?

      • Traveller says:

        Let us remember Bob Marley’s prophetic Redemption Song, “Emancipate Yourself from Mental Slavery”.

        This is the new colonialism that we now face, not the back-breaking work on a plantation.

        We may not have had a large scale plantocracy, but I dare say we now have the modern colonialism now with mental slavery in full force.

        How could people wish for more? Our Caymanian people please understand history, and only then will be be able to make wise decisions for our future.

      • Anonymous says:

        Maybe it were more than Messik involved with the corruption, he could not do it on his own…I dont blame England one bit,
        the corruption were so great, they did the right thing.

        We are far from being like Cuba,Libia,and Venezuela.We have come a long way from slavery,the caboose days, and the outside shit houses,donkey carts,and dirt roads. God save the Queen.
        Lets be graetfull we are living in a democratic world. The day these little Islands have direct rule we can kiss it all good bye.

        A born Caymanian

  6. whodatis says:

    I see a lot of talk, talk and a bit more talk here.

    Please Mr. Hague, give just ONE example of a (former) territory in which there is evidence of the UK actually giving a damn about the welfare and stability of the people absent of a benefit to mainlandUK itself?

    The Falkanders are in good standing when it comes to a genuine and caring relationship with Britain – wonder why? However, history has proven time and again that we people born out of the typical Caribbean experience would be wise to ignore your comments and to take them all with a humongous barrel of salt.

    We would be foolish to do otherwise.

    Therefore, thanks but not thanks. Save that cash and plan for your own crumbling society – God knows you are in desperate need of it.

  7. Anonymous says:

    Mum knows best

    • justin says:

      Ummm… mummy is so old now she has problem breastfeeding us. All you see is puff and smokes. She needs to retire now and worry about her own affairs. Not that we want a clean break from mum, but just look at the poor thing… still thinks she knows everything… you can’t help but not feel sorry for her