Message from The Hon Roy McTaggart

Progressives Celebrate 20 Years Of Service To The Cayman Islands

In my New Year's Message, and again in my message on Constitution Day, I reminded the country that this year marks the twentieth anniversary of the Progressives. It was on a September evening in 2002 that the Peoples Progressives Movement, the Progressives for short, was launched at a packed Town Hall in Bodden Town.

So, to commemorate our anniversary, we will be holding a series of celebratory events throughout the next four months for our members and the public to join in. Plans include a gospel concert, various community events, a special youth evening and more. We will advertise these events in the coming weeks, so please watch and listen out for them.

Also, starting this month, the public will see our 20th Anniversary logo in use, acknowledging the Progressives’ “20 Years Of Service To The Cayman Islands.”

We would not be celebrating a milestone like this were it not for the men and women who conceived and founded the Progressives. So, I wish to pay tribute to our six Founders – D. Kurt Tibbetts (OBE), Sir Alden McLaughlin (KCMG, MBE), Lucille Seymour (MBE, BEM), Edna Moyle (OBE), Anthony Eden (OBE), and Arden McLean (JP).

I sincerely thank all our Founders. Through their vision and hard work, aided by hundreds of founding Progressives party members, our party not only got off the ground but has stood the test over the last twenty years. The Progressives came together out of Love of Country. It is that Love of Country that keeps us together, working for what we believe to be in the best interests of our people.

In my view, no modern political entity has done more than the Progressives to build a strong Cayman Islands – improving government finances, growing our economy, creating opportunities for our people, safeguarding the environment, and modernising our constitution, our Parliament, and the country's infrastructure.

Though we are now in the Opposition, our desire to help our Islands progress and improve remains as strong as ever. Of course, the Progressives was born with our Founders serving in Opposition. They understood that our Islands deserved and needed a new kind of organised politics that could create stable and effective governments capable of meeting the demands of the modern world. That need has not changed.

The Progressives have been successful in creating that kind of politics in Cayman. Solid and stable Progressives-led governments gave momentum to the recoveries from the ravages of Hurricane Ivan, and the 2009 global economic crisis.

A solid and stable Progressives-led Government successfully handled the response to COVID-19 through the first challenging year of the pandemic and provided solid public finances to help see us through the worst. And a strong Progressives-led administration modernised our constitution and strengthened our relationship with the United Kingdom.

As a Party in government, we have delivered improvements that continue to benefit our people. Progressives have, among other things, been responsible for modernising our built infrastructure, improving education, strengthening our economy, implementing the National Conservation Act, and creating jobs and prosperity for Caymanians.

Add to this the vast improvements we made to restoring government finances over the past two terms.

We have achieved much for our country over the last 20 years. I am proud to serve as the Political Leader of the Progressives as we celebrate this milestone.

And, just as I look forward with hope for our Islands, I look forward with confidence for the Progressives.

Just as we were born in Opposition and then won three of the following four general elections, our time now in Opposition allows us to rebuild, engage with our people, and develop our policy platform. At the last election, we presented a manifesto of new ideas for the environment, economic diversification, and social progress - and we will build on these.

We will continue arguing for Progressives policy positions and positive change that benefits our Islands and our people. All while remaining fiscally responsible and working for a stronger, safer future for our Islands.

As we celebrate our first twenty years, we look forward to many more years of service to our people and country. Please look out as we announce the various celebration events in the coming weeks and join us for as many as you can attend.