I came from a poor background in the UK. I did my best. I sat on many boards and did what I could for society. Bush arrived and fired me after 16 years of contributions for a major board. Do I wonder why? Yes. Do. I care ? Yes.
People need rise up to remove this meglomanic.. Funds and enthusiasm are both available to do this.

Interesting. So, if we oppose the maroon we have as Premiere; if we have a problem with criminally high fuel costs; if we deem the predatory nature of health insurers to be heinous; if we are horrified at criminals walking free due to poor investigation and prosecution; if we think it is short-sighted foolery to place the new port in George Town; if we are tired of the idiocy of our government all-too-often comes up with; if we are weary of wasteful spending and needless five-star gourmet globe-trotting by our Leader;  if we are genuinely worried about our territory's fate; this so-called "Lord"  dude thinks we should keep quiet and sit merrily and quietly at our tea and crumpets? Nope! Not moi!
I read Blencathra's words with keen interest. He says: These critics should spend a few weeks in winter in the poorer areas of Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Tower Hamlets in London, or Glasgow and then thank the Good Lord for their blessings,   Did it ever occur to him that if his most noble and worthy government (yeah riight!) had listened to publicly vocal critics of government policy relative to those areas before they became places to avoid, perhaps Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Tower Hamlets would be splendid communities? Naw! Blencathra is a politician (seemingly an uppity, elitist one at that) and thinking like that is well beyond such a politician's capacity.
Personally I think anyone who chooses to spend a winter in any locale north of here is daft, regardless of the social and political climate; but I digress... Here is where Blencathra's thought processe hits the FAIL button: Blencathra lumps all the characteristics that we either complain about, or are thankful for, in just two baskets - either we are thankful for everything or we are  unthankful for everything. So why can we not be thankful for the good things about the Cayman Islands and complain about the things we find disturbing? Oh. Silly me! I forgot who Blencathra is working for - such thinking is not Maroon Sanctioned. Blencathra is essentially saying that because some places in his country are human cesspools, we should be happy (and quiet) because we still have a nice place to live - and we must keep our lips zipped if we are worried that our land is headed for the sewer. Rubbish, Blencathra! Total tripe!
Looks like the Cayman Islands government chose another winner in Blencathra. I will bet that Blencathra was hand-picked by our very own poster boy for lack of critical thinking skills and Prime Castigatior of those who hold opposing views - I will leave it you to figure to which maroon I am referring.
Bloody hell, Blencathra! Methinks I may have just contributed to some additional public negativism, eh, old boy? We Caymanians would not have to be so negative if the Cayman Islands government was not rife with people like Blencathra sticking there snooty ha'peny's worth where it is not particularly needed, appreciated or relevant. Some of us perceive that our territory has some big problems so we b_tch and complain publicly. (And the problem with that is??)  If our government would be more responsive to the small grumblings about things before things get ugly, perhaps there would be far fewer of us complaining for the world to witness. Seems like public hollering and humiliation is about the only way to draw attention and get a response about critical issues roun' yah. But of course, Blencathra missed focusing world attention on that tidy tidbit.
And another thing...! [And I write this for the world to read] Sorry, I refuse to refer to Blencathra as "Lord" Blencathra as I think the whole peerage baloney is antiquated elitist anglo-centric tripe: those who would adhere to the titles -  the Lords and Ladies and Barons and Dukes and Marquisesses and Wizards - should be relegated to Harry Potter movies, where they belong. (Except of course for Daisy Dukes which I very much like to encounter when out and about during Happy Hour, especially if those "Dukes" are adhering to a callipygian blonde.)   The last time I called someone "Lord" I was praying to a celestial deity up there in the heavens. Then again, maybe the title "Lord" is appropriate for Blencathra after all: he does seem to have his head in the clouds.
 

It seems that the good lord has been speaking to the Premier. (pun indended)
 
The scary thing is that the good lord appears to believe what the Premier says.
 
Scary stuff.

Does he ever read the UK Daily Mail (motto 'Good News is No News') - a doom-fest most days, littered with the phrase 'broken Britain'.
Is recent UK official concern for the character assassination of the Cayman Islands a straw in the wind?  Are Cayman's public finances and public image being sanitized and bolstered in anticipation of an influx of business from the City when new EU legislation begins to bite?
Naturally Cayman will need to look its best, neat hair, polished shoes, all grown up and independent, while not looking like Mother London is pulling the strings, for EU rules to be  flouted successfully.
Piggy's  New Year prediction: If the EU Gang of 26 survives and changes financial services regulations, Cayman will have a change of Governor (personal reasons) a change of Premier (grounds of health) and, good news at last, a bit of a boom by the end of 2012.

So we're supposed to sit on our hands and pretend that all hunkydory and keep ourselves quiet? I don't think so.

Lord Bencathra,

Obvious you ar not familiar with who participates in blogging on Cayman's websites of the the local news media.
By the way your comments are a bit late thousands of comments have been submitted you are now responding since you yourself was in the news having been busted by the opposition female M.P.
We wre hoping to get someone in your post that will help Mr. Billingham stamp out corruption in this jurisdiction and not coverup it up!
Can you at least apologize for this statement press release and take this matter up with your fellow MP in the House of Lords or parliament respectively whichever apply?
W will b much obliged. i

Well, I would like to assure to you, Mr. Lord Blencathra that many of the comments being made here are not screened via nationality and can never be screened that way, seeing CNS is not in the news entity for censuring free speech that way.
Hence, many of the comments made (or most of them made) on this site, could very well be made by those who are NOT Caymanian. I am a Caymanian and I can assure you that if you go to Cayman and talk to Caymanians, many of them have more of an issue with the cost of living and the local government than what is happening overseas.
Therefore all the comments made on this site, cannot be from Caymanians. For anyone to tell you that, is giving you false and misleading information.
Regards 

 
It is quite presumptuous or just plain ignorance to state that the negative posters are indeed (majority) Caymanians. No doubt some are. However, this is an open forum, and most signed their postings as “anonymous”. How did you arrive at your conclusion (or, exclusion) Mr. Blencathra?
Just for the record: I am, and most of my peers are happy to be British (or, British Overseas Territory Citizens) ..or, however we are labeled…You know what I mean?
-This one is a Caymanian (or, anoynymous)  :)

If the negative postings are having an adverse effect on the Island's image internationally, can you just imagine how the fact that the (Questionably) Honourable Premier of the Cayman Islands is presently under criminal investigation for financial irregularities is playing out on the international scene? 
 
Instead of trying to help Mac silence people, you could advise him to step aside for the sake of the Island’s reputation, which would do more to bring an immediate improvement in and restoration of the Islands reputation than silencing Dred,  WhoDat is and the rest of us.  Plain silly, Blencathra.