As reported last week, Lord Tariq Ahmad, who is no stranger to Anguilla, is back at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, in London, as the Minister of State for the Overseas Territories which include Anguilla.
He succeeded Baroness Liz Sugg who resigned from her ministerial role on November 25, 2020, following the announcement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunaky, that the overseas aid budget would be reduced.
She served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Overseas Territories and Sustainable Development from February to November 25, 2020.
During that period, she worked closely with the leaders of the Overseas Territories including former Premier, Mr. Victor Banks, and the present Premier, Dr. Ellis Webster. Both Anguillian leaders were able to develop a good working relationship with her in terms of British financial and technical aid to the island.
Prior to his appointment, Lord Ahmad of Wimbleton, was the Minister at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for the Overseas Territories – as well as South Asia. He was first appointed as the Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence and Conflict – and as a Minister for the Commonwealth and the United Nations.
In his capacity as Minister for the Overseas Territories, he visited Anguilla in November, 2018, to see how the island was recovering from Hurricane Irma of September 6, 2017. He came to Anguilla following the announcement that former Prime Minister, Mrs. Theresa May, had granted sixty million pounds in humanitarian aid to Anguilla for a number of public sector projects under the Anguilla Programme.
Lord Ahmad toured the hurricane-devastated Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School, the Princess Alexandra Hospital – and other sites including Belmond Cap Juluca which was then being refurbished and expanded.
Now that he is back as Minister of the Overseas Territories, he is expected to take up where he and Baroness Sugg left off at the Anguilla Programme, which is now in an advanced stage of completion, as well as other commitments. The island is now in need of further project development and financial assistance in 2021. It is expected that there will be much discussion on this and other matters among the Anguilla Progressive Movement Government, Lord Ahmad and the UK Government on a whole, later on.
