Speaker of the House of Commons, Parliament of the United Kingdom, Sir Lindsay Hoyle delivers his address to the Cayman Islands Parliament on Thursday, 1 August. Speaker of the Cayman Islands Parliament, Sir Alden McLaughlin; Clerk of Parliament and Chief Officer of the Parliament Management Commission, Zena Merren-Chin and Assistant Clerk Nordra Walcott look on

Speaker of the House of Commons, Parliament of the United Kingdom, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, made an official visit to the Cayman Islands from 1-3 August, creating history as the first sitting Speaker to visit the Islands. 

To mark the occasion, a meeting of the Parliament of the Cayman Islands was convened on Thursday, 1 August. Speaker of the Cayman Islands Parliament, Hon. Sir Alden McLaughlin, in welcoming Sir Lindsay to Parliament, recognised him as an advocate for the Overseas Territories. “The abiding impression of you that remains with me, and I dare say other leaders in all the Overseas Territories is your respect, support and love for the Overseas Territories. This is most evident in your willingness to engage with parliamentarians across the territories and your various initiatives, such as establishing an annual Overseas Territories Conference.” 

Speaker of the House of Commons, Parliament of the United Kingdom, Sir Lindsay Hoyle joins members of the Cayman Islands Parliament for a photo after the Meeting of Parliament convened in his honour on 1 August.

Sir Alden also chronicled the history of Cayman and the development of its governance structure, as well as his efforts to achieve further progress. “As Speaker and Chairman of the Standing Orders Working Group, I hope to be able to present members with a draft of modern Standing Orders for approval by Parliament before this parliamentary term concludes early next year,” he added.

In his address, Sir Lindsay, who was elected as the 158th Speaker of the House of Commons in 2019 credited his late father, Lord Doug Hoyle for inspiring his love for the Overseas Territories. Sir Lindsay noted, “In my first term as Speaker, I’ve championed the British Overseas Territories as an important part of the British family. As Speaker of the House of Commons, I have been committed to enhancing our strong partnership between the House of Commons and the British Overseas Territories.” 

Sir Lindsay also commended Cayman’s youth parliamentarians for their contributions at the Despatch Box in the House of Commons during the youth Parliament sitting. “I listened to Lili Anne Aleria eloquently discuss life as a modern young Caymanian and the future she hopes to see for her and her peers. And she brought alive how she has a vision, a vision for the future of Cayman. And it was about that vision that I want to share,” he said. 

Premier Hon. Juliana O’Connor-Connolly presents Speaker of the House of Commons, Parliament of the United Kingdom, Sir Lindsay Hoyle with a gift following their discussion at the Government Administration Building on Thursday, 1 August. 

Sir Lindsay further stated, “It’s about a modern relationship that we must have, not some colonial past. It is about a future that we work together. It is about looking after the universal recognition of all the Overseas Territories. I want to be a champion for you.”

Premier Hon. Juliana O’Connor-Connolly and Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Roy McTaggart joined Sir Alden in welcoming Sir Lindsay to the House of Parliament and the Cayman Islands. Premier O’Connor-Connolly further emphasised the strong collaborative partnership between the UK and the Cayman Islands. “We have been able to converge on several matters of critical importance aimed at promoting security and good governance, sustainable development and the economic and social progress of the Cayman Islands as well as other British Overseas Territories.”

Following the Meeting of Parliament, Sir Lindsay’s met with Premier O’Connor-Connolly for discussions at the Government Administration Building. He later visited the Girl Guides and was the guest of honour at a reception hosted by Governor Owen. 

Sir Lindsay also had the pleasure of observing MAGIOC training at the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service Training Centre as well as visiting Regiment Headquarters and Hazard Management Cayman Islands. This was followed by a tour of well-known Caymanian attractions and historical sites such as the Agriculture Grounds, Pedro St. James and Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park. 

Watch the full video of the meeting of Parliament: