LONDON, England – Premier Hon Alden McLaughlin hosted a dinner at the House of Commons organised by the Cayman Islands Government Office in the UK (CIGOUK) on Tuesday 12 June. The delegation from Cayman, including Minister Tara Rivers, was also in attendance.
The dinner is part of a wider political engagement programme that has been ongoing for a number of years. The purpose is to meet with MPs across the political spectrum to establish better relationships between The Cayman Islands Government and Parliamentarians, and to ensure there is a better understanding about the Cayman Islands within Westminster.
Hon Alden McLaughlin commented “Hosting these events with MPs and Peers offers us the opportunity to engage with Parliamentarians and takes the political engagement programme into a social sphere.”
“The Cayman Islands Government Office in London instigates a series of meetings with MPs and Lords throughout the year to educate and inform about the Cayman Islands within Westminster. We are then able to further engage with Parliamentarians at social events such as this in London and by inviting them to visit us in Cayman.”
This programme is valuable to the Cayman Islands to ensure that there are more voices within Westminster who are knowledgeable about our Islands and our particular issues. As we saw in the House of Commons and the House of Lords during the recent debates around the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering bill, several MP’s and Peers were able to lobby and voice their support on our behalf, because they understand our Financial Services industry and our issues.”
All members of the Cayman Islands All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) were invited to attend the dinner, including APPG Chairman Sir Graham Brady, and long-time supporter of the Cayman Islands Lord Naseby, Andrew Rosindell MP, Rt. Hon. Dianne Abbot, Shadow Home Secretary, and Rt. Hon. Baroness Floella Benjamin.
Also in attendance at the dinner were various leaders from the Overseas Territories.
