THE Cayman Islands are setting up their first military unit, in a scheme supported by Britain’s Ministry of Defence and Foreign Office.
Tory defence minister Mark Lancaster visited the Caribbean tax haven on Friday to announce the launch of the “Cayman Regiment.”
It will be comprised of local reservists and may receive training or equipment from the British military.
The islands, whose closest neighbour is Cuba, are a British Overseas Territory.
The Foreign Office is responsible for their security through Governor Martyn Roper.
Mr Lancaster said: “The UK enjoys a close and historic bond with the Cayman Islands and through helping to establish the Islands’ first reserve unit we are strengthening this relationship even further.”
He said: “We are committed to the safety and security of the Overseas Territories.
“Having recently worked with regional partners on the response to Hurricane Dorian we have demonstrated both the depth of that commitment and value we place on our partnerships in the Caribbean.”
Mr Lancaster’s pledge of more military support for the Caribbean follows his visit to the region last September, when he signed an agreement with Belize to keep the British army base there open for another 14 years.
Last week Cayman Premier Alden McLaughlin said his government would finally introduce a public register showing who owned the companies based in its jurisdiction by 2023, in response to a European Union anti-money laundering directive.
The Caribbean territory has faced mounting pressure from some British MPs to implement the register immediately, or have it forced through by decree from London.
Labour’s shadow chancellor John McDonnell told his party’s conference in September he would “tackle tax avoidance and evasion, digging up that magic money tree in the Cayman Islands.”
There were stalls at both of the most recent Conservative and Labour Party conferences where representatives from the Cayman Islands discussed “methods of taxation including the responsible tax neutral regime.”
Labour MP Catherine West chaired one session with the Caymans team along with Prospect magazine, while at the Tory conference in Manchester the Spectator magazine held a Cayman-sponsored panel discussion with International Trade Secretary Liz Truss.
It will be comprised of local reservists and may receive training or equipment from the British military.
The islands, whose closest neighbour is Cuba, are a British Overseas Territory.
The Foreign Office is responsible for their security through Governor Martyn Roper.
Mr Lancaster said: “The UK enjoys a close and historic bond with the Cayman Islands and through helping to establish the Islands’ first reserve unit we are strengthening this relationship even further.”
He said: “We are committed to the safety and security of the Overseas Territories.
“Having recently worked with regional partners on the response to Hurricane Dorian we have demonstrated both the depth of that commitment and value we place on our partnerships in the Caribbean.”
Mr Lancaster’s pledge of more military support for the Caribbean follows his visit to the region last September, when he signed an agreement with Belize to keep the British army base there open for another 14 years.
Last week Cayman Premier Alden McLaughlin said his government would finally introduce a public register showing who owned the companies based in its jurisdiction by 2023, in response to a European Union anti-money laundering directive.
The Caribbean territory has faced mounting pressure from some British MPs to implement the register immediately, or have it forced through by decree from London.
Labour’s shadow chancellor John McDonnell told his party’s conference in September he would “tackle tax avoidance and evasion, digging up that magic money tree in the Cayman Islands.”
There were stalls at both of the most recent Conservative and Labour Party conferences where representatives from the Cayman Islands discussed “methods of taxation including the responsible tax neutral regime.”
Labour MP Catherine West chaired one session with the Caymans team along with Prospect magazine, while at the Tory conference in Manchester the Spectator magazine held a Cayman-sponsored panel discussion with International Trade Secretary Liz Truss.