The British are coming back

Renward Wells

As of Tuesday, July 23, 2019

By RIEL MAJOR

Tribune Staff Reporter

rmajor@tribunemedia.net

TRANSPORT Minister Renward Wells said yesterday the British High Commission is scheduled to return to The Bahamas in August.

Mr Wells, in an interview with reporters outside of Cabinet after a recent trip to London, said he looks forward to Bahamians no longer having to travel to Jamaica to “sort any business that is required with the United Kingdom”.

“I would tell you too that I was the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs at the Commonwealth Foreign Ministers meeting. The first one was held at Marlborough House (which) was the castle that was gifted by The Queen to the Commonwealth,” said Mr Wells.

“It was an extremely important meeting for Commonwealth countries all together on the same page before the... Commonwealth heads of government meeting in Rwanda next year in Kigali so I was happy to represent the Minister of Foreign Affairs in that regard. I can tell you since 1729 the Bahamas has always had a British High Commission in the country.”

He added: “We all know a few years ago the British packed up and left. We now know that by August they will return to the country and one of the wonderful things that I was privy to and happy to see take place was the exuberance on the part of the British for coming back to the Bahamas as an official High Commission.”

Peter Young, the last British High Commissioner to the Bahamas, served from 1996 to 1999 when the High Commission was transferred to Jamaica. However, he remained in the Bahamas as British honorary consul until his retirement in February 2013. He and his wife Verona have made Nassau their home.

Last year, then-British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson announced the decision to reopen a diplomatic office in the Bahamas among other countries.

In announcing the move, Mr Johnson said in April 2019: “As a Commonwealth family of nations, it is in our shared interest to boost prosperity, tackle security issues and clear up the environment. These new diplomatic posts are in regions which provide huge potential and opportunity post-Brexit for British businesses and will help us to deepen our relationships across the Commonwealth. After we leave the EU, global Britain will remain outward facing, open for business and a champion of the rules-based international order.”

joeblow 4 years, 9 months ago

The Brits (and everybody else) are coming for their interests, not ours!! Will we take advantage of it? Probably not!

Sickened 4 years, 9 months ago

I will. I'm going to immediately ask them for citizenship... just in case the PLP ever get back in power.

joeblow 4 years, 9 months ago

Income taxes are around 20- 40% and VAT is 20%!

geostorm 4 years, 9 months ago

LOL! @sickened

B_I_D___ 4 years, 9 months ago

Please...take us back!! We've failed at this independence thing.

geostorm 4 years, 9 months ago

LOL@ BID

DDK 4 years, 9 months ago

God Save The Queen! (And BJ!)

tom1912 4 years, 9 months ago

The UK is certainly no utopia unless your utopia is roads with only a few potholes, no wreaked and half deconstructed motor vehicles littered on/or just off the road,no power cuts [YET] and yes 20% VAT but NOT on any food stuff and children's clothes something the Bahamian Government might consider! While maybe just about 4* a heath service that is free at point of use, subsidised prescriptions free for the poor and those over the age of 60! Although the now have food banks for the poor and still have many vagrants littering the side walks but no beggers at each traffic junction Hey yesterday it was even 33 oC [ 91oF] hotter than here!

Good luck with moving to the UK even if you wanted to, not so easy with the UKVI section of the home office [ I'm at present doing with my Bahamian wife] no special treatment for commonwealth citizens, settlement visa cost almost $3500 with many hoops to jump thru and no guarantee and can take 12 weeks to find out one way or the other and then it only lasts 2.5 years and then another $3000 for a further 2.5 years and then another $3000 to to get ILR [Indefinate leave to remain]

Bahamians do have up to 6 months visa free access that's if you can get pass the Jobsworth Immigration Officers [ Often 1st or 2nd generation immigrants themselves] who can't be bothered to check out any information you give an accuse you of lying and wanting to work or marry [ Which is impossible now ] in fact treat you like s**t and may well sent you back home at the wasted return air fare cost of a $1200! As the did my wife!

Then of course before all that if you want a visa of any type you have to deal with a company called VFS which the UKVI [Dept of U.K. Home Office] has contracted out all the paperwork processing but not the decision to grant or not grant a visa, look up Trustpilot on VFS a bunch of money grabbing incompetents!

Having worked overseas for many years I've never found any British Commison or consular services very helpful for British Citizens, so what use it will be here apart from renewing a passport.

TalRussell 4 years, 9 months ago

Ma comrades, the Brit's be in surprise discover there many more us today than there was while ago before Independence to prepare little Pork n Beans and head load mighty cannons at Fort Montagu, cause street corner talk has it Queen's, Brit's representative soon a-comin.back from across pond - makes good post-independence colonialists we Out Islanders, yes, hell no ....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50_iR...">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50_iR...

Sign in to comment

Or login with:

OpenID

The Tribune