Remarks
at the breakfast celebrating the Cayman/Jamaica/UK relationship –

By
Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin

29
June, 2019

Good
morning,

I
thank you for joining me today on this very, very important occasion
as we celebrate both the 60th anniversary of the Cayman Islands’
first written Constitution as well as the important historical and
cultural relationship we share with Jamaica and of course the United
Kingdom.

Lord
Ahmad, Prime Minister Holness, and Minister Vaz, on behalf of my
Government and the people of the Cayman Islands I wish to
wholeheartedly thank you and your delegations for joining us over
this important weekend of celebration and thanksgiving.

I
am also grateful to my fellow Overseas Territories leaders and
members of their delegations who are in attendance and indeed have
been here most of this week to attend our annual Pre-Joint
Ministerial Council Meeting and the inaugural UK/OT Trade Summit.
And of course thanks also to the members of the Cayman Islands All
Party Parliamentary Group who are here –Lord Northbrook, Sir
Michael Fallon and Sir Graham Brady. Sir Graham, I am pleased that
you were able to have Lady Victoria join us on this visit.

It
is indeed good to be amongst so many friends.

Prime
Minister Holness, Jamaica recently lost a great leader when The Most
Hon. Edward Seaga passed away. But as you know, with the passing of
Mr. Seaga the Cayman Islands also lost a very good friend. I was
honoured to have been able to attend and participate in the funeral
ceremony last weekend in Jamaica, along with the Speaker of the
House, Hon. McKeeva Bush and Councillor David Wight.

As
we celebrate our 1959 Constitution, our first constitution Prime
Minister, I note that 1959 was the year that Mr. Seaga first entered
politics and thus he was part of the political establishment in
Jamaica at the time we received our first written Constitution.

Sadly,
as each year passes we lose more of those nation builders who helped
shape the future of our two countries in the late fifties and early
sixties. Earlier this year we lost Charles Lindbergh Eden. His
service from 1954 – 1959 as a member of the Assembly of Justices
and Vestry was during a very important part of Caymanian history.
Happily Capt. Owen Farrington and Arley James Miller, who also served
in the Assembly during that historic period, are still with us. In
January of this year the Cayman Islands honoured the achievements of
Capt. Owen, Mr. Eden, and their entire fellow Vestrymen and Justices
of the Peace who ably represented the people of the Cayman Islands
during a time of transition. I am very proud of the fact that my
Grandfather William A. McLaughlin was also a member of the Assembly
during those historic years and indeed was also a member of the very
first Executive Council under the 1959 Constitution.

The
late 1950s and early 1960s were certainly a time of great change in
the UK, the broader English-speaking Caribbean and especially in
Jamaica and these Islands.

In
the UK Harold McMillan was returned in the General Election as Prime
Minister in 1959. In 1960 he gave what is today still considered to
be an important historical speech when he addressed the whites’
only South African parliament and noted that "The
wind of change is blowing through this continent, and whether we like
it or not, this growth of national consciousness is a political fact.
We must all accept it as a fact, and our national policies must take
account of it."

These
words were prophetic not only in the African context but certainly
also for those British territories in the Caribbean, including the
Cayman Islands and Jamaica. The West Indies Federation that was
promoted by the UK after the Second World War, was eventually formed
in 1958, but dissolved by 1962 as Jamaica and Trinidad opted for
independence and self-determination rather than federation.

But
despite the post-war trend that saw a number of UK colonies opt for
independence, the Cayman Islands was determined to not just be swept
along in the wake of our larger neighbours.

It
is worth noting here that it was not just the recognition by the UK
of the inevitability of the drive for change in its colonies that was
important; rather it was also the willingness of the UK to sponsor
and facilitate the process in order to ensure that all of its former
colonies were able to establish themselves, ready to face the future
in the best possible way. This was in part the rationale for the UK
to promote and to assist its Caribbean territories in the formation
of the West Indies Federation.

Even
more important, I believe, has been the willingness of the UK to
maintain its help and support for all of us over the subsequent
decades. Whether it has been through the Commonwealth or through what
is now United Kingdom Overseas Territories Association, the UK has
been steadfast in its role and the benefit that we all have received
as part of the global Britain family has been truly significant. Of
course as in all families, we have had our disagreements through
those years, but we have always found that the values that bind us
together have been stronger than the occasional challenges that have
threatened to drive us apart.

Certainly
in Cayman’s case our ongoing developing relationship with the UK
has been absolutely central to our increasing success and prosperity
over the last 60 years. The UK’s willingness to nurture our
fledgling democracy; to encourage our emerging economy, certainly in
those early years; and to provide support through good times and bad
has been a vital ingredient in Cayman’s success story.

We
have been, and we remain, grateful for our links to the UK and
committed to our future partnership.

Prime
Minister and Lord Ahmad, our three countries share a common history
and we also share a connection to Her Majesty the Queen, who has
reigned for some 67 years and was sovereign when Jamaica became
independent and the Cayman Islands became a Crown Colony.

However,
as I have said, the route for both Jamaica and the Cayman Islands
traversed a difficult and rocky road that was the formation of the
Federation.

Initially
as a dependency of Jamaica, the Cayman Islands was keen to ensure
that our interests were being protected. Members of the Assembly at
the time, the late Ernest Panton, National Heroes T.W. Farrington and
Ormond Panton led by Ducan Merren traveled to the discussions in
Jamaica and made it clear that the Cayman Islands would join the
Federation only if we had direct representation in the Federation.

Unfortunately
Cayman’s position was eventually rejected by members of the
Standing Closer Committee of the Federation and instead it
recommended that the Cayman Islands should continue as a dependency
under the administration of the Governor – General of the
Federation.

But
the Cayman Islands remained resolute and on April 7, 1955, six
Assemblymen sent a petition to the Colonial Secretary through the
Governor of Jamaica. They stated that “while…we
look forward to strengthening ties both with Jamaica and with the
other territories of the British Caribbean…we wish to restate, as
clearly and as strongly as we can, three main aims. First, we wish
to retain the right to control entry to our islands. Secondly, we
wish to retain our rights to decide what taxes should be imposed upon
us. Thirdly, we wish to retain our right to maintain our established
channels of trade and employment overseas.”

Cayman’s
position remained unchanged in the run-up to the start of the launch
of the Federation and the Jamaica Government led by Premier Norman
Manley became content to let the British Governor of Jamaica resolve
the Cayman Islands issue. Locally, however, there were divided
opinions - some preferred obtaining and retaining increased local
control over Caymanian interests whilst some factions favoured a
break with the United Kingdom and a closer relationship with Jamaica
within the framework of the Federation; an issue that would not be
resolved for several more years.

And
so, despite the uncertainties of who the Cayman Islands would join,
it was agreed by the UK that the Cayman Islands would receive our
first written constitution by a Royal Order-In-Council. The
constitution came into effect on July 4, 1959, and was the first step
towards political advancement for the Cayman Islands, as the Islands
were now specifically exempt from the control of the Jamaican
legislature and were placed directly under the authority of the
British Governor of Jamaica.

There
also followed radical changes to the Legislature. After 129 years,
the Assembly of Justices and Vestrymen was replaced by two new
bodies, the Legislative Assembly and the Executive Council (which has
now evolved to the Cabinet today). The members of the Legislative
Assembly were also reduced from thirty five to eighteen members,
which included twelve elected members, three nominated members and
three official members. ExCo consisted of two official members, two
elected members and one nominated member.

National
Hero T. W. Farrington, speaking in the Assembly on July 3, 1959, the
day before the new Constitution would come into effect, reflected on
the coming changes and said to his colleagues:

“I
must also thank and congratulate members of this Assembly for their
individual contributions to all the deliberations in this House for
the preservation and continuity of the best traditions which we
Caymanians hold so dear. It is obvious that some faces that are here
today will of necessity be left out of the new House but for those of
you who will be returned I would say – Be Watchful! Be Vigilant! Be
Wise! Let us not lower the flag but press on with courage and
determination that as we go forward into the future we shall always
be proud to be called Caymanians!”

Those
are indeed mighty and suitable words from our venerable statesman at
a most momentous time in our history.

I
wish to also note that when the new Legislative Assembly met for the
first time in October 1959 in what we know as the George Town Town
Hall, present in the audience was the Jamaican Minister of Home
Affairs Hon. William Soivright who was representing the Premier of
Jamaica the Right Hon. Norman Manley. Also present was the Leader of
the Opposition of Jamaica at the time, Sir Alexander Bustamante. So
even at that auspicious moment in our development senior Jamaican
parliamentarians graced us with their presence – which makes it
even more poignant for me, Prime Minister, that you and Minister Vaz
have joined us this week to commemorate and recall the events of
those days.

After
the collapse of the West Indies Federation in 1962 and with Jamaica
taking its final steps to independence, the Cayman Islands had to
make a firm decision as to who it would follow, Jamaica or Britain.

The
issue was finally debated in the Legislative Assembly and decided in
1962 when a unanimous resolution was reached that:

“It
was the wish of the Cayman Islands (1). To continue their present
association with Her Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom;
(2). To negotiate with her Majesty’s Government in the United
Kingdom for internal self-government, taking into account the wishes
of the people of the Cayman Islands as to timing.”

And
with that decision Jamaica and the Cayman Islands went our separate
ways politically - with Jamaica moving on to become an independent
nation and Cayman choosing to remain British and becoming a British
Crown Colony in its own right.

It
was the decision by the Cayman Islands to obtain our own constitution
and to forge our own way as a British Crown colony that allowed our
own people to begin make what were, clearly in retrospect,
fundamental policy decisions and to pass the early laws on which we
have built our tourism and financial services industries. The
adoption of the1959 Constitution can rightly be considered the
seminal event which gave rise to the modern Cayman Islands.

But
Prime Minister Holness, even though our respective countries may have
separated politically, the connections between us have remained
strong, and indeed have grown stronger, these past sixty years.

From
the beginnings of its settlement following the 1670 Treaty of Madrid,
which ceded Jamaica and Cayman to Britain, our two countries and
cultures have been intertwined.

History
records that the earliest two settlers – Walter and Bowden – were
British soldiers who were reputedly deserters from what was
colloquially referred to as Cromwell’s Army in Jamaica.

After
Jamaica’s independence, Caymanians continued visiting Jamaica in
numbers for business, medical care, employment, education, to visit
family or friends, or even to be wed.

Indeed,
my forbear John Patrick McLaughlin and his betrothed traveled to
Lucea, Jamaica, to get married because there were no marriage
officers on Grand Cayman at the time. Fast forward a hundred and
fifty years or so to my own parents, McNee and Althea who did their
formal training in Jamaica to later come home to make a difference in
public health; my father as a public health officer and my mother as
the country’s first dispenser of medicines.

And
over the decades many Jamaicans came to the Cayman Islands as
doctors, teachers, builders, lawyers and more to help us build the
Cayman Islands that we know today. Many have stayed on to become a
permanent part of the Caymanian fabric – including our own Chief
Justice Anthony Smellie, Attorney General Sam Bulgin, the late
Clarence Flowers, Mr. Wellesley Howell who turned 104 years this year
and is still playing his saxophone, and of course, Prime Minister,
Dr. Joseph Marzouca your Honorary Jamaican Consulate who, despite the
unchanged accent, is also now happily Caymanian.

We
still have Caymanians benefiting from education in Jamaica but we
also have a large and growing number of Caymanians also going to the
UK to university.

Over
the past 60 years, the relationship between the United Kingdom and
Cayman has developed and matured. As I noted on Wednesday at a joint
UK/OT Trade Summit, after having become a British Crown Colony in our
own right we, along with our fellow Overseas Territories, were all
designated by the UK as Dependent Territories in 1981 and
subsequently as Overseas Territories in 2002. The shifting
nomenclature – from colonies to dependencies to finally being
recognized as “overseas territories” marks the increasing
maturity of our relationship with the UK.

And
so, since 1959, the document that governs us has gone through several
iterations, with the latest coming in 2009. Today we are again in
constitutional talks with the United Kingdom with a view to further
advance the Cayman Islands position constitutionally and to enhance
our ability to govern our own affairs and to continue to thrive and
prosper as a modern, progressive and successful democracy.

Lord
Ahmad, Cayman’s success has much to do with the hard work and
dedication of those Caymanian men and women who strove to build our
Islands, but we had great assistance from the UK over the years,
including those Commissioners, Administrators and Governors who loved
this place and worked to help make it better. And yes we also had
much help from the people from Jamaica and elsewhere who joined us in
this grand experiment to make three small Islands in the Western
Caribbean the gem that we are today. But what has also helped us is
the confidence that investors have in our links to the UK, along with
our shared British common law system. As three small islands our
choice to remain British was the right one for us then and despite
the tensions from time to time, I believe it continues to be the
right one now.

In
August this year Jamaica and its Diaspora will celebrate 57 years of
independence and, Prime Minister, we will once again join you in your
observances, wishing you happiness, prosperity, peace and continued
success.

Thank
you.