UK minister visiting Cayman
(CNS): The United Kingdom’s overseas territories minister is making his first trip to the Cayman Islands on Tuesday but he will be here for just one day before he visits Jamaica. Mark Simmonds, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office junior minister, will have a packed agenda on his short visit, which comes just three weeks before the annual Joint Ministerial Council in London, where the relationship between the UK and all of its territories comes under the spotlight. According to the governor’s office, this visit will focus on enhancing the relationship between the UK and the Cayman Islands and their shared agendas before the summit.
“I am delighted to be making my first visit, as a minister, to the Cayman Island, an important centre for the global financial services industry," Simmonds said. “I am looking forward to meeting Premier McLaughlin again and his colleagues in Government and to discussing with them how we can work together on our shared commitments in the White Paper and the JMC communiqué. I am particularly looking forward to meeting young Caymanians and hearing about the challenges that Cayman’s youth faces now and in the future,” he added.
Simmonds will have meetings with the premier, the finance minister and he will call in on the Cabinet meeting. Other engagements will include meeting with opposition MLAs, a visit to the port area, and the lion fish lab at the Department of the Environment. He will also receive a presentation on the Health City development.
The premier will host a reception and Simmonds will address a dinner hosted by the Chamber of Commerce in the evening.
Category: Politics
I hope he is not here to take away Tara's U.S. Passport…
Reading these posts will make you stupid.
I couldn't agree with you more. I mean really, some of these posts are low brow.
It is time for Caymanians to have a serious discussion about the emotional and social impact of being second class citizens in their own country.
Judging by the repsonse to your post 17:55, there are 17 people who feel the same way you do.
Stop feeling sorry for yourself, get off your ass, and do something.
A Caymanian.
"Other engagements will include meeting with opposition MLAs"
One of the purposes of the meeting is to improve the relationship between UK and Cayman. Then why is he planning to meet Ezzard, Capt Eugene and the honorable Mac? Wouldn't that be counterproductive?
I don't get it.
I guess Protocol is not a word in your vocabularies eh. I am speaking to all o ona. and another Ting.
And I quote:
"Simmonds" will have meetings with "The Premier", "The Finance Minister" and he will call in on the "Cabinet Meeting". Other engagements will include meeting with "Opposition MLAs", a visit to the "Port Area", and the "Lion Fish Lab" at the "Department of the Environment". He will also receive a presentation on the "Health City Development". The Premier will host a reception and "Simmonds" will address a dinner hosted by "The Chamber of Commerce" in the evening. Unquote: How many hours does his day have in it?
Is there any wonder why the "Cayman Islands" is the laughing stock of the Universe? Where else could this happen? And where else could a "Junior Minister" from the FCO come to visit, declare the following “I am delighted to be making my first visit, as a minister, to the Cayman Islands, an "important" centre for the global financial services industry, while at the same time slighting us by "not once" apologizing for this incredibly short visit, while having time to visit our neighbor Jamaica, which, "according to comments made on this post" seemingly could care less about any relationship between themselves and Great Britain!
Secondly not once was there any mention of a meeting with Her Excellency the Governor and /or the Commissioner of Police, [if for nothing else] re the escalating rise in serious crime! Yet he has time for LION FISH? Did I read this here? Well I'll Kiss a Babies Bunkie!
He has time for a "Proposed Health City", but no time for the "Local Health Services Authority" and of course time for the "Chamber of Commerce", sometimes referred to as ["The Chamber of Avarice"] while stating! And I quote: I am particularly looking forward to meeting young Caymanians and hearing about the challenges that Cayman’s youth faces now and in the future. Unquote:
I guess his meeting with the youth will take place sometime after his trip to Jamaica, because with all the other meetings he has scheduled for his one day visit, he certainly will not have time for meeting with them. Certainly could have at dropped the "Lion Fish" thing so as to spend more time with them.
Just my opinion, but, my thinking is! That this trip will have little to do with the enhancement of anything that will be beneficial to the average resident of these Islands, but more of an exploratory trip of a personal nature. WE SHALL SEE!
I hope Mr. Simmonds will address the "Unnecessary" quotation marks and CAPITALS that are "Infecting" the nation.
The question mark problem is getting worse too, isn't it?????
With all the murdering, machette fights, houses burning down, begging for food etc, one day is enough mate. One wonders if he'll be able to tell the difference between here and Jamaica. Hot Mess, as they say.
Perhaps he should spend his time with Princess Tara. They can put their heads together and devise plausible excuses for missing cabinet votes and such…..
Why is the UK wasting time on a jolly to meet some local government poltiicians?
Free lunch and dinner as usual
For the Cayman politicians you mean… given that they like to milk the freebies that go with office more than anyone I have ever come across.
To: Submitted by Anon (not verified) on Mon, 04/11/2013 – 11:59. Sorry that your politicians back home are so out of touch that you are unable to "come across' one. If you did, then we would not be reading your biased and insulting comment about Cayman politicians.
Whoheis?
McLaughlin? He is one of the local politicians.
The Hon. Alden McLaughlin is the premier of the Cayman Islands, not merely "one of the local politicians" Obviously the poster means the foreignguy.
Yes, that is what I said, McLaughlin, the foreign guy. He is one of the local politicians.
Isn't McLaughlin Scottish? How can Cayman have a Scottish politician?
Irish ancestry.
The Chamber of Commerce has this kind of access to the Minister…ALden you are starting to frighten me…I see know why the Immigration bill had to pass…did we have a choice?
Our Head of State is Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth 2. I was unaware that she would be here also!
A Junior Minister gets greeted by our head of state. Lol
A junior minister representing 63 million people gets to meet the head of state of 50000 people. Not fair I agree, but the Brit will just have to slum it.
Firstly, a politician is not head of state, that is the role of the Queen.
Secondly, that politician only represents a local population of 30,000, the rest of us are grateful not to be represented by the equivalent of a town mayor.
To: Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 03/11/2013 – 09:55 …and some are grateful to have been allowed to be a "guest worker" in this little place "represented by the equivalent of a town mayor". Obviously you are not one of these.
Great. We hope we hear nothing further about the right to vote for residents then since you speak for "the rest of us".
Thats right – a junior minister for a country with 60 million odd voters meets the Head of State of a country with 28,000 voters. Please keep the right level of perspective.
A territory of 28,000 voters . . .
They wished they had 28,000 voters.
Not even that. That is only if everyone votes including those Caymanians living in the UK and the US. The bottom line is, for less than a thousand votes received, you are suddenly "honourable", immediately pensionable and on the carnival. If they have to occasionally meet with real politicians, then them' s the risks.
To:Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 03/11/2013 – 10:42. Jealousy is a powerful and dangerous emotion.Careful ,or it might destroy you.
Another cocktail party for the top civil servants, boy how they love their freebies.
Dumb ass, your head of state is Her Majesty Queen Eliabeth II, and her representative is Her Excellency The Governor.
And FYI, even a junior FCO minister out ranks a puffed up Caymanian politician, who until fairly recently was known as the leader of government business. Bush found that out to his cost.
'Premier', don't make me laugh.
God save the Queen.
even a junior FCO minister out ranks a puffed up Caymanian politician
even the most junior MLA gets paid more than a UK Minister tho, as do the the senior Cayman civil servants – top 5 grades get paid more than the British PM
Hear how they think about you Caymanian’s; please grow some balls and get rid of them.
Lost your sense of humour idjit?
Why they keep visiting Jamaica after Jamaica made it clear years ago they don’t want the UK, and has even taken steps to remove the final threads of the Monarchy?
Cayman, who love the colonial rule, well that I can understand.
Probably so they can tell the Jamaicans back in England how nice a place it would be for them to return.
They are still a member of the Commonwealth, a trading partner and a considerable political force in the Caribbean. Cayman isn't.
Sure … yeah right … enhance our relationship whilst declaring it legal to tap into our phone conversations …
Wow! He's gonna spend a whole day in cayman. See!! I told you Mother England loves us.
Not much to see really, any cruise ship passenger will tell you that. Jamaica has strong cultural links to the UK and actually produces something worthy of trading.
Cayman is just a headache run by incompetents .
What a moron. If Jamaica has strong cultural links to the UK so obviousloy does Cayman, and there is no evidence that Jamaica is well run.
ganja?
And I take it you are not here in this "headache" of a country? Please tell me that you are somewhere else and not here enjoying the economic perks of the "headache". But, I can't say that I would be surprised if youwere actually here, after all you nah here for the social scene. But never the less, for what it is worth, I have respect for your untamed and jealous hatred for Cayman. Oh don't worry, I not just picking on you, there are many like you who hold the same scorn…but shiver at the thought of having to leave and return to a lesser standard of living, be it in this region or further afield.
Yes, and we know what the biggest cash crop is for the 'trade'. The cultural links being Jamaican gangs in London?