The first time I saw Grant Shapps was on television when he was being interviewed by the BBC following the remarkable and surprising win the Conservative party had in the May UK General Election.

At that time Shapps was the Conservative party chairman and this role was very important as he was in charge of the party machine across the UK.

However during this time he courted adverse publicity that could have cost the Conservatives dearly.

From The Independent:
Grant Shapps sacked from Cabinet and demoted to junior ministerial role
He has been sacked as Conservative party chairman and appointed to a junior ministerial position, with David Cameron’s close friend replacing him
Matt Dathan Author Biography
Grant Shapps has suffered a humiliating demotion after being removed as the Conservative party’s co-chairman and handed a junior ministerial role in the Department for International Development under Justine Greening.
David Cameron replaced him with his close friend and friend from Oxford University Lord Feldman, who previously served as co-chairman alongside Mr Shapps.
Mr Shapps has courted controversy during his time as Tory party chairman, a vitally important role in the run up to an election as he was in charge of the party machine across the UK.
Just before the election campaign he was accused of editing the Wikipedia pages of his Conservative rivals and allegedly changed his own page to delete embarrassing references to his past.
Mr Shapps categorically denied he had any involvement in editing the pages and said he was writing to Wikipedia over the fact that one anonymous editor was being reported as “speaking as if it’s Wikipedia itself” and “being somebody who is with authority”.
He was also forced to admit he had “screwed up” over his denial that he held a second job posing as his multi-millionaire pseudonym Michael Green while also an MP in 2006.
The day of the 2014 Budget he sparked a backlash after he attempted to celebrate cuts in tax on beer and bingo to help “hardworking people do more of the things they enjoy”.
Mr Shapps tweeted a poster with that message under the headline “ Bingo!” written in colourful bubbles, urging people to “spread the word”.
However it sparked a series of parodies, while Labour tweeted “ Dear Tories – what else do you think ‘they’ do that you don’t?” followed by “Out. Of. Touch”.
SOURCE: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/generalelection/breaking-grant-shapps-sacked-from-cabinet-and-demoted-to-junior-ministerial-role-10242788.html

All very well but what has this to do with us here in the Cayman Islands?

Well, James Duddridge who was appointed recently as The UK’s junior foreign office minister with responsibility for the overseas territories is ill and is in hospital.

Last year Duddridge had a gall bladder operation that has been reported as causing problems again and has been re-admitted.

It would seem to be serious enough to cause the aforementioned Grant Shapps to be temporarily appointed in his place.

I expect he will be visiting the Cayman Islands very soon. He would appear to be a very colourful individual indeed. I hope I get an invite to meet him.

Here is the official release from GOV.UK
Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
Organisations: Foreign & Commonwealth Office
Current role holder: The Rt Hon Grant Shapps
Responsibilities
The minister is based at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office. Responsibilities include:
Africa
Overseas Territories (not Falklands, SBAs or Gibraltar)
conflict issues
consular
protocol
ministerial oversight for FCO services
the Caribbean (not including Dominican Republic, Haiti or Cuba)
Illegal Wildlife Trade
Polar Regions
Current role holder: The Rt Hon Grant Shapps
Grant Shapps was appointed as Minister of State at Department for International Development on 11 May 2015. He is also temporarily carrying out the ministerial portfolio of Foreign Office Minister James Duddridge. He was elected the Conservative MP for Welwyn Hatfield in 2005.
Education
Grant studied at Cassio College, Watford before graduating from Manchester Polytechnic with a business and finance diploma.
Political career
Grant was appointed Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party in 2005, before being made Shadow Housing Minister in June 2007. Following the 2010 election, he served as Minister of State for Housing and Local Government in the Department for Communities and Local Government. Grant was appointed to the Privy Council in June 2010. In September 2012 he was appointed as co-chairman to the Conservative Party. At the same time he held the position of Minister without Portfolio at the Cabinet Office.
Career outside politics
In 1990, Grant founded PrintHouse Corporation, a design, print, website creation and marketing business in London.
Personal life
Grant is married with 3 children.
Previous holders of this role
James Duddridge MP 2014 to 2015
Mark Simmonds 2012 to 2014
Henry Bellingham 2010 to 2012
END

IMAGE: Grant Shapps photographed at the Conservative Party Spring Forum in Manchester on 28 Mar 2015. Image: Rex Features/Associated Press