Premier of the Cayman Islands the Hon. Alden McLaughlin will host four members of the United Kingdom’s Parliament in the Cayman Islands for four days. The MPs – Andrew Rosindell, Henry Smith, Col. Bob Stewart and Martin Vickers – are members of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the Cayman Islands and will learn directly about the Cayman Islands, its people, culture and economy.

The visit is part of the ongoing political engagement efforts by the Premier and the Cayman Islands Government to interact with as many British parliamentarians as possible to create and maintain positive working relationships.

To read the whole story see iNews Cayman story “UK Parliamentarians headed to the Cayman Islands” published August 1st 2018 under iNews Briefs & Community Events.

The following are images and biographies of the MP’s

Andrew Rosindell

Member of Parliament for Romford

Biography

Andrew Rosindell M.P. is the Conservative Member of Parliament for the constituency of Romford.

Born in Romford, Andrew was schooled locally at Rise Park and Marshalls Park School on Pettits Lane.

Andrew’s interest in politics started at a very young age and he joined the Conservative Party at the age of 14. By the age of 16, he was elected Chairman of the Romford Young Conservatives.

Andrew became a councillor in the Chase Cross Ward, in the London Borough of Havering in 1990 and by 1998, he achieved the highest Conservative vote share in London – 88 per cent.

Andrew was elected to the House Commons in 2001 as the Member of Parliament for Romford and recorded the highest swing to the Conservatives, defeating the incumbent Member of Parliament, Eileen Gordon M.P. (Labour) with a swing of 9.2, achieving a majority of 5,977. It was the first seat to return to the Conservatives after the Labour landslide and Mr. Blair’s election of 1997. In 2004, Andrew was appointed as a Vice–Chairman of the Conservative Party.

At the 2005 election, Andrew almost doubled his majority to over 11,500 and 2010 Andrew was returned for a third term with a majority of 16,954 and a 56 per cent share of the votes cast. More recently, in 2017, Andrew achieved his highest majority so far, winning his fifth election by 13,778 votes, and gaining 60% of the overall vote.

Known as one of Westminster’s more patriotic M.P.s, Andrew works with the British Overseas Territories, Crown Dependencies, and Commonwealth Realms. Andrew is also the Chairman of the Houses of Parliament Flags and Heraldry Committee, an All Party Parliamentary Group formed in 2008.

In 2010 he campaigned successfully for the Union Flag to be flown constantly from the Houses of Parliament above Victoria Tower. Previously a much smaller flag had only flown on days when parliament was in session. As a national landmark and focal point of London, Andrew along with many other colleagues thought it important the flag fly proudly all year around. He also takes a special interest in St. George’s Day and has campaigned for it to be a national holiday much like Ireland and Australia, who proactively celebrate their national days with bank holidays and festivities.

Andrew maintains an active interest in foreign affairs, and is the longest-standing member of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, having been re-elected 3 times since 2010. His foreign interests also extend to chairmanship of a number of national and regional All-Party Parliamentary Groups, including those for Australia and New Zealand, Canada, British Central America, Switzerland, the Channel Islands, the British Overseas Territories, the Isle of Man, Liechtenstein, Montserrat, and the Commonwealth. Andrew is also a governor of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, which works with emerging democracies to help them on their path to free and fair elections, and more stable national institutions. Most recently, in 2017, Andrew was also elected Chair of the British-Irish Parliamentary assembly, which promotes political co-operation and dialogue between Britain and Ireland.

Henry Smith

Member of Parliament for Crawley

Henry lives in Crawley and has a young daughter and son. He was elected as Member of Parliament for Crawley in 2010, 2015, and in June 2017.

He ran his own Crawley-based business, and in 1997 was elected to West Sussex County Council. In 2003 he became Leader of the Council, when aged 34 he became the youngest county leader in the country. He was also Chairman of the South East County Strategic Leaders group, representing all authorities across the greater south east.

Additionally, Henry has previously been a Governor at The Oaks, The Brook and Oriel High schools across the town.

At the general election in May 2015, Henry was re-elected as Member of Parliament for Crawley with an increased majority. Following the election the then-Prime Minister, David Cameron, appointed Henry as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Communities & Local Government, Greg Clark, a role in which he served until July 2016.

In June 2015, Henry was elected as the Co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare. In this role, he worked alongside a variety of animal rights organisations, such as the International Fund for Animal Welfare and the RSPCA.

Henry has served on the European Scrutiny Committee and supported an in/out UK/EU referendum. He campaigned for a leave vote locally, and 58 per cent of Crawley voters joined the more than 17 million people nationally who voted to leave.

Following the appointment of Theresa May as Prime Minister in July 2016, Henry served as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women & Equalities, Justine Greening.

He welcomes the Government’s commitment to introducing a new school funding formula which provisionally sees Crawley schools gain by 8.4% (£5.7 million).

Henry continues to campaign on a range of issues on behalf of Crawley residents, in particular health. Following the closure of A&E at Crawley Hospital under Labour in 2005 he has successfully campaigned for urgent care services to return with new units recently opened and operating 24/7. In June 2016 he helped set up, and was elected to chair the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Blood Cancer. The Group’s aims include raising awareness of blood cancer and highlight the needs of patients and their families.

He was also the Secretary of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Southern Rail, and as a daily commuter himself has seen at first hand the unacceptable local rail service over the last year. He persists in making representations with the Transport Secretary, secured a debate in the House of Commons on the issue in September 2016 and, unlike Labour controlled Crawley Borough Council who officially backed rail strikes, has called on the unions to end their industrial action that has caused misery to the traveling public.

Henry believes that investment in young people is important, during the course of the previous parliament he hosted two Crawley Apprenticeship & Jobs Fairs and is proud to support the delivery and expansion of National Citizen Service locally.

Colonel Bob Stewart DSO

Member of Parliament for Beckenham

Colonel Bob Stewart DSO was born in 1949. His father, Jock Stewart MC, was an RAF officer and his mother, Joan Stewart, had been a member of the Special Operations Executive in the Second World War, a fact of which Bob is especially proud. He spent most of his early years abroad in the Middle East with his parents but in 1959, together with his younger brother, he was sent to boarding school at Chigwell in Essex.

When he was 17 years old Bob was selected to attend the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst and he graduated from there in 1969 as an infantry officer, commissioned into The Cheshire Regiment.

Thereafter Bob was an Army officer for a total of 26 years. From 1974-77 Bob was sent to read for a degree by the Army; being awarded a First in International Politics and Strategy from the University of Wales, Aberystwyth. In all he has completed 7 operational tours of Northern Ireland during the troubles; serving there as a Platoon Commander, Intelligence Officer, Company Commander, and finally Commanding Officer. He was the incident commander at the scene of the Ballykelly bomb in 1982 where 17 people were killed including 6 of his own soldiers from A Company, 1st Battalion The Cheshire Regiment.

In 1992, as a Lieutenant Colonel, Bob took his Battalion to Bosnia as the first United Nations Commander of British Forces there. On return Bob was promoted to Colonel and posted for his final appointment in the Army as Chief of Policy at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe in Mons, Belgium.

Bob left the Army in January 1996 and worked successively as Senior Consultant Public Affairs in Hill & Knowlton Ltd, Chief Executive of WorldSpace UK Ltd and then for himself as a freelance consultant until he was elected to Parliament in 2010 as Conservative MP for Beckenham.

In Parliament Bob has been a member of the House of Commons Defence Committee since 2010. He has also, at various times, been a member of the House of Commons Arms Control Committee. In addition he has been Vice Chair of the All Party Group for the Armed Forces representing the Army since he was elected. More recently, in November 2016, he joined the House of Commons Select Committee on Northern Ireland.

Bob was re-elected as MP for Beckenham on June 8th 2017.

Bob lives in the Constituency with his wife and family. His youngest children have attended or are still attending local schools and he commutes to Westminster daily by train.

Martin Vickers

Member of Parliament for the Cleethorpes Constituency

I was born and raised in Cleethorpes, being educated locally at Havelock School and Grimsby College. In 2004, after 6 years of study as a part-time student at Lincoln University, I earned my B.A. degree in politics with honours.

I have always lived in the Grimsby/Cleethorpes area, and have been a passionate supporter of Grimsby Town since my first game in the Osmond stand versus Norwich in 1959 with my parents.

Prior to taking up the position of Constituency Agent to Edward Leigh MP in 1994, I worked in the printing industry and retail trade in the Cleethorpes area.

My passion for public service has given me 25 years of experience as a councillor, representing Scartho Ward in North East Lincolnshire, including six years as the Cabinet Member for Environmental Services.

I was elected as Member of Parliament for the constituency of Cleethorpes in May 2010.

Along with serving as a local councillor I have until recently served the local community as a churchwarden.

Outside of politics I enjoy spending time with my wife and daughter, reading (mainly politics, history and religion), railways, travel, the Church/religion, football & cricket, and music.

I continue to look forward to serving the people of the Cleethorpes constituency. Please feel free to let me know when I can be of service.