Has once again the Cayman Islands Premier, Hon. McKeeva Bush, snubbed the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in failing to deliver on another of his promises?

It has been confirmed by the Governor’s Office the Premier has told Mark Simmonds, the new UK Overseas Territories Minister he would not be ratifying the Framework for Fiscal Responsibility (FFR) law until November.

In a meeting with Minister Simmonds at the FCO on 20 September, Bush said that he would bring the FFR to the next meeting of the LA, which would not be until 5 November. He also gave the minister an undertaking that the FFR, as signed in November 2011, would be transposed into law that same week and by no later than 9 November 2012, the Governor’s Office stated.

What a brilliant start to his new association with the minister he needs to be on his “good” side. It is not only better for him to start well with Mr. Simmonds but it is much better for the country he represents.

It does not seem to be apparent to Mr. Bush that you achieve things better when your relationship with your boss is friendly and trustworthy. The broken promises, tirades and accusations our premier has made against the FCO including HE Governor Duncan Taylor, is on record. A record that is quite frankly appalling.

I chose the word “boss” carefully when I used it now. I don’t think Mr. Bush understands that he is not only a SERVANT of the people of the Cayman Islands but he has a lord above himself. To date, his lord has been very lenient with him. And by “him” I mean us, the country he represents. We elected him and it is us who pays the penalty when it comes. I fear it will be coming.

Has the UK approved any extension to the November requirement? If they have why hasn’t the premier announced it? Is this all a game he is playing? By not divulging whether or not he has such approval it keeps us all in suspense, conjecture and the subject of posterings and editorials.

This is the second time the government gave an undertaking to the UK to put this agreement into law. The first time, after it was signed, the UK had asked it be incorporated into local law by 30 June this year. That did not happen. Now the government committed to doing so by the end of September and they failed once again.

There has to be a reason the Premier is doing this. There is always one, or two or three. The two Independent MLA’s, Ezzard Miller and Arden McLean have publicly voiced their suspicions.

Their concerns are that this delay was connected to government’s hopes that the ForCayman Investment Alliance (the Dart Group deal) could be completed next month. They believe government is avoiding making the FFR into law because the Dart deal may not comply with it.

Miller used the terminology ‘Russian Roulette’ in his description of Bush’s behaviour with the UK and I have to agree with him.

McLean wondered if the delay was related to the George Town cruise port, which Simmonds predecessor, Henry Bellingham, had made clear could not go ahead under the current circumstances.

If our Premier wanted to provide even more tension for his subjects to be put under by not making a clear and precise statement on the FFR controversy, he has succeeded admirably.

I pray he hasn’t snubbed the FCO again.