British Government Disbands Turks & Caicos Government, Imposes Direct Rule
August 14th, 2009
The UK government imposed direct rule on Turks and Caicos, its former Caribbean colony, today amidst rampant corruption charges against the local government. From the AP:
The British government said it had suspended the government and legislature and put the London-appointed governor in direct charge of the islands about 500 miles (800 kilometers) southeast of Florida.
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British Foreign Office Minister Chris Bryant said the suspension could last up to two years while governor Gordon Wetherell “put the Islands’ affairs back in good order.” He said elections for a new Turks and Caicos government would be held by July 2011.
Of course, Turks and Caicos is a well-known tax haven, and by taking over control the British authorities can no longer plausibly deny responsibility for the reckless tax policies of this territory. It’ll be interesting to see if the British authorities stick to their commitment to bring about an end to banking secrecy in their crown dependencies.