Anguilla’s newly-appointed Hon. Deputy Governor, Mr Perin Bradley, has pledged to discharge his duties with “fairness and equity and without fear or favour in the best interest of Anguilla.” Further, he stressed that, when required to do so, he would not “hesitate to stand up for Anguilla.”
Mr. Bradley, whose recent post in the Anguilla Public Service was Comptroller of Inland Revenue, succeeded former Deputy Governor, Mr. Stanley Reid. Mr. Reid has just opened a private legal consultancy practice after serving in the Public Service for almost thirty years, ten of which he served as Deputy Governor.
Mr. Bradley, 39, a graduate of Howard University and Durham Business School, was sworn in as Anguilla’s second Deputy Governor by Her Excellency Governor Christina Scott on Friday, July 1, 2016, in the Executive Council Chambers, in the presence of a large gathering.
“As Deputy Governor, my main duty is serving as Head of the Civil Service,” he stated in the presence of invited Government officials, colleagues and family, friends and media representatives. “I am very mindful of the awesome responsibility that is involved in leading this organisation, especially in these uncertain times, but I pledge to discharge my duties with fairness and equity and without fair or favour in the best interest of Anguilla. There is no need for me to dilate on the challenges ahead. I think we know them all too well and I am not naïve to the complexity of these challenges, but I am convinced that if we work together, we can tackle these issues in a meaningful way.”
Mr. Bradley continued: “The people of Anguilla have heavily invested in me and I have a moral obligation to serve them faithfully. Therefore, I will be guarded by a very simple test on any matter that comes before me, and it is simply this: Is this proposition in the best interest of Anguilla? I have no other agenda, I have no other concern.
“As I visited various Ministries and Departments over the past two weeks, what I have found is that we have some of the best and brightest that Anguilla has to offer right here in the Civil Service. My colleagues come to work every single day trying to make a genuine difference to the lives of Anguillians under some very difficult circumstances. We have been asked to do so much with so little, yet we persevere. As our Civil Service Leadership Statement makes clear…we are inspired by our work, connected with our engagement and empowered to deliver. I am truly honoured to be leading such a dedicated team; and I say to my colleagues that I will support you in all your laudable undertakings. Your success is my success and your failings will be mine. We are all in this together.”
Turning to Chief Minister Victor Banks, Mr. Bradley told him that, as Head of the Civil Service, he would support the Government’s agenda and would make every effort to see that its programmes and priorities are effectively and efficiently delivered. “In so doing, my colleagues and I may have sometimes occasions to challenge your functions and your Ministers’ and to deliver some very difficult messages – that includes you, Hon. Mom,” he went on. “I trust that you will cheerfully consider our counsel.”
To Governor Scott, Mr. Bradley said: “I have grown to respect you. I believe you have Anguilla at heart. I respect the office that you hold under the Constitution of Anguilla, but I will not hesitate to stand up for Anguilla. If that means taking a position that is different from yours, on any matter, my reason will be communicated to you clearly and respectfully. We are both Civil Servants and I think we have a good understanding of where the other is coming from. Having said that, I believe we want exactly the same thing which is a strong, vibrant and safe Anguilla – an Anguilla where we all can enjoy a high standard of living.”
Earlier, Mr. Bradley thanked Mr. Reid for his advice, guidance and support. “I will be forever grateful to you for your generosity and support in ensuring that we had a smooth transition,” he told him. “You have given me your time, your advice, and a keen insight about what to expect in this role. Thank you for your service. You have set the bar very high.”
Mr. Bradley thanked Governor Scott and others who were involved in his selection and appointment. He also thanked his mentors and family for their support as well as his mother, Mrs. Evalie Bradley. He stressed that his mother had instilled in him and his brothers a set of values which included honesty, integrity, hard work, and a strong commitment to family and community.
Prior to Mr. Bradley’s address, Governor Scott described his swearing in as Deputy Governor “as a milestone and opportunity to celebrate Public Service at its best.” She continued: “We are coming together to the turning of a page. We say firstly a very grateful thank you to Stanley Reid who, for ten years, has been the first Anguillian to hold the office of Deputy Governor and has done that with style, panache and determination. I am extremely grateful for the support and advice I have received from him over the last three years…Although he and I have not always seen eye to eye on all issues we have always conducted ourselves fabulously courteously. The reason for that, and the joy in that, has been because we have both shared the same outcome. We both want a strong, stable Anguilla. We have disagreed sometimes on how best to get there, but I think that’s healthy and is what public policy debate is about, and should be about, and that’s really part of the difficulty of government and leadership; and I welcome that support I have had.”
Governor Scott said that both Mr. Reid and Mr. Bradley, “through the application process, for Deputy Governor, had shown their pride and passion for Public Service. They modelled professional excellence and demonstrated that they could put customers at the heart of their work.” She added: “I am very proud to be here on this important day for Anguilla.”
Mr. Reid took the opportunity to reflect on his past appointment as Deputy Governor and repeated some of the advice (including his congratulations) he had given to Mr. Bradley just before demitting office. Speaking partly for the public record, he said in part: “The post of Deputy Governor is, in a word, an interesting one. That is because you have an Anguillian serving in the Anguilla Public Service, paid by the Government of Anguilla, who is required to support the Governor in the Governor’s role. The Governor is an FCO official. Invariably, and the Governor alluded to it, there are occasions when despite it being one Anguilla – for which we must all work – there will be different viewpoints as to how to achieve that one Anguilla. Mr. Bradley will find himself in a position where he has to make a call as regards what he should do, what he should say, where he should say it, when he should say it. Those types of decisions will have to be made. The guiding principle, I would suggest to him, in all those areas when making a decision, should be one of honesty. What I tried to guide myself by was my personal conviction and speaking from a position of honesty.”
Speaking directly to Mr. Bradley, Mr. Reid continued: “You will encounter occasions when your allegiance to Anguilla is likely to be questioned. I encountered it. I have seen public officers question whether or not I was being loyal to Anguilla. Why? Because for me it was not just a matter of simply Anguilla saying this, Britain saying that. It is a matter of – is there merit in what is being said and if there is merit in what is being said, irrespective of who is saying it, I will say there is merit in it and sometimes persons didn’t necessarily like that…There were occasions when I had to say to the Governor, and other British officials, that I am sorry, but that course is not necessarily what I perceive to be the best for Anguilla. The public will invariably not be aware of those occasions, and will do the usual and castigate you in the public domain as regards to where you stand as an individual. Part of this role is to maintain your professionalism and whether the castigation comes from ordinary members of the public, or political officials, which I have suffered from, you are to retain a position of professionalism, and not be drawn into either the public domain or behind closed doors. Politicians, irrespective of your personal view of them, are to be recognised as the duly elected officials of the country.” Mr Reid also advised Mr. Bradley “not to hold fast to something that you got wrong just to preserve face. If you didn’t get it right on the first occasion, revisit and do otherwise.”
Referring to the Public Service and other matters, Mr. Reid offered his successor this final advice: “Don’t, what I would call ignore the system and do as you please. Change the system to reflect what it ought to reflect.”
