Cayman Islands Premier, Hon. Juliana O’Connor-Connolly, has headed to London, England, to do damage control to a “strained relationship.

She will not be alone, as accompanying on her trip will be Deputy Premier, Ralston Anglin, Attorney General Sam Bulgin, Financial Secretary Kenneth Jefferson, Rhonda Webster, the premier’s PA, her executive aide, Paul Leonce, and Richard Parchment, senior political analyst to Rolston Anglin. H.E. Governor, Duncan Taylor, was also going along.

It does seem extraordinary that it takes eight people to complete this mission so presumably there is more to it than just safety in numbers.

At the Press Briefing last Thursday (17) attended by only Anglin and Mark Scotland, the Deputy Premier, said the delegation would be also dealing with budget issues. I hope they will be packing a great big begging bowl as it is understood Cayman ‘s finances have almost depleted as the expected revenues have not come forth.

Although Anglin said the Cayman Islands Government (CIG) was not going “cap in hand” it spoke volumes. The delegation was “going to have a professional dialogue” on the budget and other key issues, he said.

The trip, which was not a “government jaunt” as some people could perceive it as was necessary, according to Anglin, as it needed to be done “face to face.”

The trip was to enable the premier to meet the overseas minister, Mark Simmonds, for the first time and to repair the damage done as it was no secret the former premier, McKeeva Bush, and the governor had a very strained relationship, Anglin admitted.

Scotland, said that it wasn’t just about repairing the damage done to the relationship over the last few years for the current cabinet but to improve the situation for the next government.

Anglin insisted, however, CIG would promote “the people’s best interests with every fibre of their being”.

Another purpose of the trip was to analyse the current contract CIG had with the Tory peer, Lord Blencathra, the director of the London office.

The delegation would be looking to see if they were “getting value for money”.

Cline Glidden and Dwayne Seymour are also away meeting with the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association regarding the situation with cruise tourism in Cayman.

At the next Press Briefing next Thursday there is going to be a lot to report.

Let’s hope some of it will be favourable.