Thirty years ago, on 2 April 1982, Argentine forces invaded and occupied the Falklands Islands and South Georgia. The resulting conflict lasted 74 days and ended with the Argentine surrender on 14 June 1982, which returned the islands to British control. This year sees a commemoration, but not a celebration, of those events. This year has also seen an increasingly vocal campaign by Argentina to increase tensions in the South … Read more »In praise of self-determination
A new relationship
A couple of weeks ago the UK reframed its entire relationship with this region. There wasn’t much coverage of that in the media here, so this blog is an attempt to spread the word, and the debate. The occasion was the UK Caribbean Forum, a biennial event that dates back to the Labour party’s election in 1997. This was something that the new coalition government elected in the UK … Read more »A new relationship
A victimless crime?
Once upon a time, a bureaucrat from a large Central Asian country visited a bureaucrat in a large African country and was impressed that his African counterpart lived in a nice house and drove a Mercedes. The Central Asian asked how the African managed this on a civil servant’s salary. The African pointed to a new road winding its way through the jungle. “Do you see that road? Ten per … Read more »A victimless crime?
An historic month for Trinidad & Tobago
The most important month in the history of Trinidad and Tobago is just coming to an end. I imagine you’re wondering what on earth prompts me to write this. Lots of other months in Trinidad and Tobago’s history have witnessed much more drama and global attention. You could argue that the most important month was August 1962 when Trinidad and Tobago got its independence. Or April 1970 and the Black … Read more »An historic month for Trinidad & Tobago
Living in a State of Emergency
State of Emergency. Three words that might be designed to make your friends and family worry. Immediately, you imagine gun battles in the streets, barricades, ‘emergency powers’. Since late August, Trinidad and Tobago has been under a state of emergency. This is not the place to go into the reasons for it being called, although the high murder rate in the country (which has been falling) was likely to have … Read more »Living in a State of Emergency
What’s the point of the Commonwealth?
This is the kind of question that is easy to ask if you want to sound vaguely provocative. The sceptic might query the validity of an organisation whose historical basis remains mostly a shared colonial history and which lacks a binding treaty or powers of enforcement. Like any institution, the Commonwealth has its fair share of myths surrounding it. And like most myths, they don’t stand up to much examination. … Read more »What’s the point of the Commonwealth?
Month two – public diplomacy
In my first month here I focused on meeting the key government officials and ministers. These courtesy calls are an essential introductory duty for any new Head of Mission. When a crisis occurs that means you need to speak to a government minister as a matter of urgency, it’s not much help if you’ve never even met the person. And of course the nature of a crisis is that you never know which minister it … Read more »Month two – public diplomacy