Vexed Bermoothes

I am always suspicious of the breathless press releases from Dr. Brown that claim some diplomatic triumph on his world travels.  They smell like spin.

Good Government is about outcomes, not “grip and grin” photo ops.

Witness this report (only covered by the Bermuda Sun, so much for media parity) on the Premier’s meeting with the FCO Under-Secretary responsible for the Overseas Territories.  It sounds fine and dandy, with the Premier telling the UK what’s what.

The Premier also advised the Under-Secretary that his Cabinet and Government are confirmed in their strong belief that the Bermuda Government should have operational responsibility for policing, in addition to budgeting responsibility.

However, in his own release, it appears the Under-Secretary experienced that meeting quite differently:

We also discussed the four former Guantanamo detainees who landed in Bermuda in June. I expressed our anger and profound disappointment at the way the Bermudan government had acted. This action breached the terms of the Bermuda Constitution and the requirement to consult the UK government on matters relating to foreign affairs and security. We agreed that the UK and Bermuda governments would continue to work together to resolve the issue.