Horton, Burgess Heading To Manchester
Deputy Premier and Minister of Public Works Derrick Burgess will lead the Bermuda Delegation to the 2011 Conservative Party Conference in Manchester from 2nd – 5th October. Accompanying the Deputy Premier is Permanent Secretary Robert Horton and the team of the Government of Bermuda London Office.
A statement issued by Government said, “The Conservative Party Conference is an opportunity for key stakeholders to understand how Conservative Ministers are developing policies of the Conservative – Liberal Democrat Coalition Government, for the future of the United Kingdom.”
“It is essential for Bermuda as a British Overseas Territory to engage with Conservative Ministers, MPs and MEPs within the Coalition Government, to ensure that Bermuda maintains dialogue with policy and decision makers of the UK.”
“Attendance at the Conference comes at an essential time as the UK has launched the consultation process of a new White Paper, to bring together the Coalition Government’s policies on the Overseas Territories.”
On 14th September 2011, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Mr. William Hague in his Written Ministerial Statement to Parliament, outlined:
‘Our strategy is to ensure the constitutional arrangements work effectively to promote the best interests of the territories and of the UK. We are therefore focusing on three practical policy goals:
(i) To strengthen the engagement and interaction between the UK and the territories.
(ii) to work with territories to strengthen good governance arrangements, public financial management and economic planning where this is necessary; and
(iii) to improve the quality and range of support available to the territories.’
At the Conference the Deputy Premier will host a conversational breakfast on Monday 3rd October. The discussion will focus on Bermuda’s relationship with Britain, infrastructure, economy and our future. In the evening the Deputy Premier will host a cocktail networking reception at the Manchester Art Gallery Atrium.
So we’re in a financial crisis with people losing their jobs all over the place, and taxes being raised at no notice. And the very next announcement by the government is a junket to the UK, with a “conversational breakfast” and a “cocktail party”.
They really are insulting all of us. I can’t wait for the election.
PLP have no caring for their own people. They ensure their lot are well looked after and the hell to the rest of Bermuda.
So busy planning this little junket with their “breakfast” and “cocktail” party that they didn’t have time to consider sponsoring a silver award winning entry in a major flower show.
At the mere mention of a party or overseas trip this lot are all over themselves to get on the list.
The Party Lovin’ Party!!
This government is a disaster and a joke…
Agreed
“It is essential for Bermuda as a British Overseas Territory to engage with Conservative Ministers, MPs and MEPs within the Coalition Government, to ensure that Bermuda maintains dialogue with policy and decision makers of the UK.”
The PLP can’t even maintain effective dialogue locally with IB, taxpayers or other important stakeholders so what on earth makes them think they can be effective participants at a Tory convention??
This is just another in a long list of PLP boondoggles.
I’ll bet they’ve arranged good seats at either a Utd or City game. Probably both
He’s going to need it for a boondoggle like this one.
Can someone clarity exactly what the London office does?
Book footie tickets for the visiting elite.
Between that and the Washington office, pretty vague what these offices are for. Maybe the one in DC is for booking Redskin tickets?
THE PLP or OBA MUST CLOSE BOTH OFFICES!
Thees essentially EMPTY offices are useless, and suck up valuable budget that could be better utilized right here, right now.
If they closed those offices they could easily afford to sponsor the Bermuda Entry in the 2012 Chelsea Flower Show, the world’s most famous flower show. Only $40K – PLP say we don’t have it. We won a Silver Medal last time. This show attracts 1000s of upscale people within our Primary Target Market, and is ideal for selling Bermuda to them. They have money! And after all, Bermuda IS flowers! Get real, PLP.
Really fancy office right behind the Ritz Hotel in
London which must be exorbitant rent.
Friendly staff who seem to share office space with the person
who signs up register for foreign aircraft to Bermuda.
Presume classy office waiting for the day Bermuda goes Independent.
notice the timing of the release. This has been planned a long time ago. They release the details so late so that the public, who pay for this, do not have time to comment on it.
First class tickets no doubt and the finest hotels. It is understandable that they are having a hard time to come to grips with the recession since they themselves are not in a recession. They have a 5 year guarantee on their jobs and all expenses paid vacations.
I have no problem with Burgess or any of the PLP leadership for that matter going away.
I just really wish they would stop coming back, then these trips would be money well spent by the Gobrment finally!!
LOL….
Fantastic, i’ll donate to buy those tickets, one way
Conservative??? since when has the PLP been conservative and NEED to attend a conservative party conference!!?? You just raised my duty taxes to 40% and your out partying again?? Why don’t you host something in bermuda and get people to come to the island and spend money YOU NEAR SIGHTED IDIOTS!
Just my thoughts exactly. What on earth are died-in-the-wool socialists doing, hobnobbing with the Tories; I wonder if they had really meant to go last week? I didn’t see too many Tories at that conference!
Can they do us a favour and not return ??
)
Are they for real? Unbelievable. They are so lacking in self awareness they simply do not get it.
We all have to tighten our belts and this pair of twats are going off on a junket on our dime.
There will be riots.
My fervent wish is for this government to be suspended by the British Government for a period of two years to allow for the review of alternative solutions, the creation of new political parties, and a period for people to really assess whether they want these clowns back into parliament, to have serious deep analysis of the candidates before an election can be called. Potential Parties need to be questioned on their platforms, how they would lead if they were the governing party and how they would respond if they were the Opposition. We need to implement a Report Card approach on the Parliamentarians – the constituents set out a mandate for items to be performed and a quarterly review of their performance. Just like in the real world, these worthless politicians that are on our payroll would be fired due to lack of performance, accountability, you know, the things we ordinary people endure in our work lives. Is anybody ready for a change?
in the “real world” these clowns………….oops I mean the PLP useless Government…… should have been fired a long time ago……..after all…. there is at least $$$$1b reasons to do so!!!…………Oh…..wait a minute…………what was that song???? Ah yes, I remember………..Bermuda is another world!
WAKE UP BERMUDA VOTERS …………….and see the PLP for what they really are……..a bunch of greedy, incompetent, self serving, spin doctors with no substance or solutions……just lots of dubious ways to spend our money while telling us to do more with less!
You would think these trip junkies would take Patrice with them to sell them Bermuda. Clearly if the attendees or sponsors can afford to pay for these conferences, they can afford to come to this beautiful country!
Derrick Burgess has coco pops and cocktails with the Tories.
What a brilliant idea for a comedy sketch.
Gotta love this government- they are such comedians aren’t they!
They clearly have no idea what goes on at a party conference. Firstly this isn’t about Government Policy – it is party political and entirely self-serving. Its also a chance for party workers to get their free dinners and hotels (they should fit in there perfectly).
The most laughable thing is that the PLP choose to align themselves with the Colonialist, Imperialist Tories – so its ok to drink and be merry with a party that doesn’t exactly promote black interests, when the booze is on the house?
i hope it rains all week.
When the absurdity is finished..that’s when the irony of it all begins..
PLP?? GaME oVER!
So sad…take the $15,000 this selfish trip is costing the poor saps of Bermuda and buy crackers and water for the food bank…a great many people are going to need it soon!
Where did you get the $15k figure from?
I reckon twice or three times that would be more like it.
First or business class travel, hotels, food and the cost of hosting these parties is not going to be cheap.
$15K is more like the airfare.
These Government ministers seems to be all about themselves. This Junket really is a big waste of money. The Premier should cancel it and any other that are planned for the coming 12 months. The Island is in trouble and the future looks dim.
on top of everything else its Derrick Burgess who embarrasses Bermuda every time he opens his mouth. er um …um..um…
Oh you silly bunch of cows. The Clonial Masters beckoned, they responded. One must use the villiage takings before Fiddles whislt Hamilton burns…………………………
In the last couple of weeks thousands of dollars of
much needed funds has been spent on so called
‘offical travel’ overseas when our island is almost bankrupt.
.Premier to New York to meet Minister of Foreign Affairs for Nigeria
.Premier to Miami for KPMG Conference
.MP Roban to Miami for KPMG Conference
.MP DeSilva to Miami for KPMG Conference
.Minister Minors to Toronto for briefing
.Minister Minors to Halifax for ADHT Conference
.Dr. Kim Dismont Robinson to Halifax for ADHT Conference accompanied by Mrs. Florenz Maxwell and Mrs. Maxine Esdaille
.MP Burgess to UK for Conservative Party Conference
.PS Robert Horton to UK for Conservative Party Conference.
Perhaps others can add to this list..
All getting their trips in before the tax went up.
Add some more today:
Premier to NY Conference
MP Minors to NY Conference
Jeremy Cox to NY Conference
So Sad, how all but two of these comments are pathetic and so angry….all in all you all do not know what you are talking about….you all sound like a bunch of BRAT children whinning about any and everything,Bunch of losers
Word for the wise take your heads out of your —— and smartin up!!!
Bermudians are there own worst enemy!
We follow are leaders I guess in that respect, I suppose you have no idea why people would be angry?
Perhaps my head is out of my _____ as you put it, open your eyies. Are we stronger than we were 5 years ago? are we stronger than we were 10 years ago? Try to be honest.
“Bermudians are our own worst enemy ” enemy to whom, the people who are ruining this country? Well then fine, I will be an enemy.
You are angry and in my opinion if any party was in you would still be angry cause thats all you show,Many people talk and make judgements about what government is doing and they do it from the sidelines,my advice to you get involved so you can have an input on change.
Their are many changes goin on around the world that Bermuda is not immune to no matter who is in power,the fact that everytime the government makes a move it is highly critiqued and thats a good thing,what is lacking is real common sense on the regular day bermudians behalf as to their expectations.
Also you talk about if we are better off than 5 or 10 years ago, answeer that yourself,Bermudians on a whole need to bring their game up we expect to much and we do not always do our part totally….its the truth!
I agree.
We also must remember that the government is strongest when it has a strong opposition. And we see this is not the case. My hope is that we as Bermudians would stop criticizing form the side lines and going off of hear say and check the facts, get to know and understand the people that we judge AND STOP VOTING BAD MP’S BACK INTO POWER!!!
Young Bermudian. Regrettably your comment about a strong Government is one of those myths, especially in Bermuda. The strength is a competent, honest and efficient Government. An Opposition has little impact. The strength is the Backbench of the Government. In the mid/late 1990′s a strong UBP Backbench brought in the Prohibited Restaurants Bill to stop then ex Premier John Swan and others establishing McDonalds here. Ewart Brown saw this weakness so increased MP’s salaries to a number that was above what they could earn in the real world so making sure they would not revolt. Dale Butler would confirm this situation. Otherwise I agree with the rest of your comment.
What terrible timing, it’s an international week-end and neither Man City or Utd will be playing while they are there. The PLP needs to check fixture lists before planning overseas trips like this.
If they were promoting Bermuda by serving Codfish n Potatoes for breakfast and Dark n Stormies at the cocktail party……no nevermind. PLP/EBP would never do anything to promote Bermuda!
PLoP! FLUSH!
What a waste of our money when people are out of work and struggling. When they return we should watch to see if they walk through customs or pay the duty like the rest of us
Maybe it was something to do with the UK lottery. Free Money…
Let’s be optimistic about this visit…Perhaps Burgess will repent the error of his ways and come back a born again Tory (preferably a Thatcherite and not some drip). As for Horton,well he’s been a closet Tory all along, this is just a big outing for him (on other peoples’ money).
This is one of the most negative, backwards websites in Bermuda. It is obvious to me that some of these bloggers must be related to that backward, racist US /tea party group. If some of you perfect critics are so resolute in your criticism of the gov’t, why don’t you have the testiular fortitude to use your real names.
Hey come on, calling the staunch PLP or nothing bloggers relatives of US tea party is a little excessive.
And there are way to many examples even on this web site that the Tea Party in Bermuda is at Alaska Hall….
LOL
…because of pseudo-intellectual, name-calling begrudgers like you that bark race at every reasonable question asked of Government…like, where did all the money go? Well a lot clearly still goes on BS junkets like this. Plus ca change.
James, maybe Burgess needs the help from Robert Horton to make sure he understand what the meeting is all about !!!
Perhaps they are seeking advice on what “retail” means.