Following a very successful start to the CIGO MP engagement programme, November saw meetings with Cheryll Murry MP, Shailesh Vara MP, Rt. Hon Dame Hodge among others. The programme to engage with Members of Parliament was established this year, and involves Mr Bush and Mr Parchment meeting face to face with MPs across the political spectrum to establish better relationships between The Cayman Islands Government and Parliamentarians.
Cheryll Murry MP is a Conservative MP from Cornwall who had some knowledge of the Cayman Islands and was excited to meet with Cayman Islands Government Representatives to learn more. Ms Murry was keen to know how she could help the Cayman Islands. This particular meeting was timely and relevant following the recent Cornish heritage programme instigated by Mr Bush a few months earlier. (Read more on Mr. Bush’s trip to Cornwall HERE.) Mr Bush was able to inform Mrs Murry of the deep heritage connection between the UK and the Cayman Islands and of his recent discovery of the connection specifically to Cornwall where it is now believed that the first settler might have departed from Cornwall. Mrs Murry now remains a good Friend of the Cayman Islands and is interested in joining the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Cayman Islands. This meeting was an excellent example of positive ties for the Cayman Islands being made within Parliament.
Mr Shailesah Vara MP, Conservative MP from North West Camberidgeshire was aware of the Cayman Islands and British ties to the country, he was willing to learn more and keen to visit. Mr Vara has since joined the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Cayman Islands. Mr Bush was able to talk frankly with Mr Vara regarding the recent snap election and learn more about opinions of the state of the political landscape of the UK, as well as the EU and the referendum and how this all affects the Cayman Islands. Following the meetings Mr Vara has demonstrated a keen desire to know more about the Cayman Islands and to stay in touch with the Cayman Islands Government in the UK.
Rt. Hon Dame Hodge MP had joined the APPG for the Cayman Islands prior to the meeting set up with the Cayman Islands Government, and has been to the Cayman Islands herself. This meeting is an example of the more challenging meetings with MPs who have strong views against what they perceive to be ‘Tax Havens’. These meetings are just as important as Mr Bush has the opportunity to explain that the Cayman Islands should not be considered as a jurisdiction where anyone was able to hide ill-gotten gains because the Cayman Islands had many bilateral and multilateral governmental agreements in place that prevented it from allowing anyone or any company from taking advantage of its system to hide the source of their gains. Bush explained about the KYC system that has been vigorously enforced for the past 20 plus years and explained that whereas the company registration might have been able to be exploited in the 1980s, the registration system in the Cayman Islands currently is one of the most secure systems in the world, including that of the UK and US and any of the other financial centres, onshore and offshore. Rt Hon Dame Hodge is open to further meetings and it is important to keep open channels of communication with those who oppose the Finical Services industry in the Cayman Islands.
These are some examples of meetings this month, meetings will continue in December and into the New Year.