The people of Anguilla can look forward to a promise by the newly-appointed Governor, Mr. Tim Foy, of having their views represented and transmitted to the British Government at all times and as clearly as possible.
This was indicated by the Governor-Designate when he paid a brief familiarisation visit to the island several days ago, at the height of the celebrations of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Anguilla Revolution. Mr. Foy will take up his new appointment in mid-August.
He had an opportunity to speak with members of the local media at Government House shortly after his arrival. Commenting on his coming role in Anguilla, he told the media: “I think that in fact, even when things get hard and issues get difficult, being the Queen’s Representative, and representing the people’s views, while working with the elected Government, is very key. If your question is will I flip-flop, the answer is I hope not. I am sure if I did, the people will call me out. It’s not my style. My style is to be straight and consistent. I will do my level best towards that end. What I really want, as I know Governor Scott has done, is to take a real interest in the people and the development of Anguilla – in terms of making progress and building. That’s what the relationship with Britain is all about. That’s the shared notion of the partnership.”
The Governor-Designate continued: “I think the Constitution is quite clear on this. It is the Governor and Queen’s Representative for the people of Anguilla. It is not the Representative of the UK Government in Anguilla. I take that very seriously, and I am quite prepared to have difficult conversations with London if I think they misread or misunderstood [the people]. I would definitely, as Governor Scott has done, really go out and lobby on behalf of the people and put over the Anguillian point of view. Likewise, it helps us to do that lobbying if we are confident that Anguilla is really driving and striving for itself. Those principles of endurance, resilience and self-sustainability are the very things that Anguillians want, so I am very clear about what the relationship in Anguilla should be.”
Outgoing Governor, Christina Scott, commented: “It’s not about wearing two hats because you have equal responsibilities under the Constitution. You are not only in a constitutional relationship with elected members here in Anguilla, but also with the Secretary of State. You also have constitutional responsibilities and so your interactions with London, as well as with the people of Anguilla, are set out by the Constitution.” She noted that in all circumstances caring about the wellbeing of the people of Anguilla is the same among the parties notwithstanding what the different views may be about how that should be achieved.
Meanwhile, Governor-Designate, Mr. Foy, met with Governor Christina Scott, Deputy Governor, Mr. Perin Bradley, Ministers and other officials of the Government of Anguilla (except Chief Minister Victor Banks who was off island). He was particularly pleased to have met with the Permanent Secretaries and to understand their role and “to get their take on where things are and what their priorities and aspirations are looking ahead.” He also met with Attorney General, Mr. John McKendrick, the Director of Financial Services, Mr. Gerry Halischuk, and the Acting Commissioner of Police, Mr. Elliott Forbes.
Mr. Foy visited a number of public sector projects on the island including the Fire Hall and Air Traffic Control Tower building. The project, now under construction at the Clayton Lloyd International Airport, is being jointly funded by the Governments of Anguilla and the United Kingdom. He was pleased with its progress and thought it will be an excellent facility on completion.
He also visited Her Majesty’s Prison. “I have visited prisons in many countries, but I have to say that there was something very positive and inspirational about the prison in Anguilla,” he stated. “There is a real focus on prison welfare. Seeing prison guards and prisoners interact in a way which is respectful of each other I think is quite uplifting to anybody.”
Overall, the Governor-Designate was delighted with his short visit to Anguilla. He was able to enjoy some of the social life of the island including the boat-racing which was part of the Fiftieth Anniversary celebrations of the Anguilla Revolution. He is looking forward with much anticipation to taking up his appointment in August.
Mr. Foy, a long-serving career civil servant at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London, worked primarily on counter terrorism issues. He spent several years in the Cabinet Office National Security Secretariat after over twenty years with the UK Department for International Development, living and working in various countries around the world. This included his first stint in the Caribbean when he served in Guyana.
