Premier Reuben Meade has described this year’s discussions with a team from the United Kingdom about financial support for Montserrat as “very pleasant”.
Representatives from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) visited the island for a week in late January.
During their stay, they met with government officials, reviewed ongoing projects, and learnt about key areas where financial assistance could be directed in the 2025-2026 financial year.
Premier Reuben Meade, Governor Sarah Tucker and Adam Pile, who headed the FCDO’s budget support mission, spoke about the week on ZJB Radio on 30 January.
Meade clarified that the visit did not involve negotiations, rather it was an opportunity to discuss plans and programmes with the visitors who would then go back to the UK and “negotiate on our behalf”.
He declined to speak about the specifics of talks but said they covered a “wide range of thematic areas”, adding that Pile and his team had been “exceptional” and it had been “a very pleasant week”.
‘Really good session’
Governor Tucker described the mission as a series of discussions about how funding has been spent in the past and aspirations going forward.
Everyone involved was “very nervous at the start”, she said, but added that with the new government, which already has a number of plans in place, it has been “a really good session”.
The governor said she hoped Pile, who is deputy director for overseas territories, would return to the UK and “make very positive cases” for funding support.
During the radio interview, Pile said it had been a “really good, productive week” and said the governor and premier had both pushed hard on a number of issues.
He told listeners that it was his fifth trip to Montserrat, adding: “I love Montserrat. I love the people. I think it’s a fantastic community.”
Above and beyond
Pile said he was “fully aware” of all the challenges the island faces but stressed that it boasts many positive qualities such as a low crime rate, a tight-knit community and a strong public service.
“It’s amazing how a lot of people go above and beyond, and you have a very small government dealing with some very big responsibilities. So [I’m] really impressed.”
He said over the course of the week he saw some excellent presentations and commended people who are “thinking outside the box, people thinking radically”.
Pile explained that the UK has been able to increase funding over the past few years due to the work of the public service and politicians.
He added that it is important to think towards the future and envision projects and plans that will build a better future for Montserrat.
Watch the radio programme in full below:
