Alden McLaughlin

Official Title: Premier of the Cayman Islands

Alden McLaughlin is the current Premier of the Cayman Islands, the Third Elected MLA representative for the district of George Town, and serves as the leader of the People’s Progressive Movement.

He has been a Member of the Legislative Assembly for the district of George Town since he first assumed office in November 2000. McLaughlin also served as Minister for Education, Training, Employment, Youth, Sports and Culture for during which he is most noted for spearheading the reformation of education in the Cayman Islands with the creation of the Education Modernisation Law, which was passed in 2005 but has not yet been enacted. A founding member of the People’s Progressive Movement, McLaughlin was sworn in as Leader of the PPM and Leader of the Opposition in February 2011 following the resignation of the then incumbent leader, Kurt Tibbetts.

2000: Began his political career with his first successful run for a seat in the Legislative Assembly. McLaughlin is currently serving his fourth consecutive term as representative for the district of George Town.

2005: He was assumed the role of Minister for Education, Training, Employment, Youth, Sports and Culture following the successful run in the 2005 General Elections by the People’s Progressive Movement. During his service as Minister for 2005-2009, his foremost concern was the restructure and betterment of the education system in the Cayman Islands.

2013: With McLaughlin as leader, the PPM claimed half the seats in the 2013 General Election to oust the incumbent UDP. Following the election, the PPM secured majority control after gaining support from the outgoing premier Juliana O’Connor-Connolly as well as the members of the independent Coalition for Cayman parliamentary group, allowing McLaughlin to become Premier. McLaughlin currently serves as Premier and Minister of Home and Community Affairs in the People’s Progressive Movement Administration.

McLaughlin was born and grew up in George Town, Grand Cayman. In 1981, he joined the Civil Service as Assistant Labour Officer and was later transferred to the Judicial Department and appointed Deputy Clerk of the Court in 1982. McLaughlin resigned from the Civil Service in 1984 and took employment in the firm of Charles Adams and Co. as an articled clerk. McLaughlin received his Bachelor of Laws the University of Liverpool (Cayman Islands) in 1988 and was made partner in Charles Adams, Ritchie and Duckworth in 1993. McLaughlin retired from Charles Adams, Ritchie and Duckworth in March 2006, to fully commit himself to his political responsibilities.

He was awarded the MBE by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2010 for his contribution to constitutional development in Cayman. He has also been an active member of numerous associations in the Cayman Islands, most notably serving as both President of the Caymanian Bar Association and President of the Lions Club of Grand Cayman and being a member Grand Court Rules Committee for 16 years.