A Government of Bermuda delegation led by the Premier and Minister of Finance, the Hon. E. David Burt, JP, MP, travelled to London last week to participate in the annual Joint Ministerial Council (JMC), the highest political forum between the UK Government and the Governments of the British Overseas Territories.
Additional engagements included a meeting with the Foreign Secretary, the Rt. Hon. Yvette Cooper, MP; a Leaders Dinner hosted by the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Rt Hon. Sir Lindsay Hoyle, MP; and a private audience with His Majesty King Charles III alongside His Excellency the Governor, Andrew Murdoch CMG, and Leaders and Governors of the other Overseas Territories.
The Premier was accompanied during this visit by the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Sen. the Hon. Kim Wilkerson, JP; Cabinet Secretary Marc Telemaque; UK Representative, Kimberley Durrant; and Deputy UK Representative, Brandon Sousa.
Engagements began with the Attorney General attending the United Kingdom Overseas Territories Association (UKOTA) Political Council, which provides leaders of the Overseas Territories an opportunity to discuss shared priorities and strategies ahead of the JMC.
Continuing engagements, Minister Wilkerson participated in the UKOTA Overseas Territories Conference and joined a panel discussion on Modern Democracy alongside the Premier of British Virgin Islands, the Hon. Natalio Wheatley; the Premier of Turks and Caicos Islands, the Hon. C. Washington Misick; and the Premier of Anguilla, the Hon. Cora Richardson-Hodge.
The Attorney General emphasised the importance of collaboration among Overseas Territories to strengthen democratic practices and public administration.The conference also featured keynote addresses from the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Rt Hon. Sir Lindsay Hoyle, MP; Minister for the Overseas Territories, Stephen Doughty MP; and Shadow Minister for the Overseas Territories, Andrew Rosindell MP.
While the Attorney General attended the OT conference, the Premier held a bilateral meeting with the Minister for the Overseas Territories, Stephen Doughty MP to discuss matters of mutual importance to Bermuda and the UK.
The JMC sessions, held from the 26 - 27 November, brought together UK Ministers and Overseas Territory leaders to address key priorities, including resetting the UK - OT relationship, cybersecurity, climate resilience, combating illicit finance, economic growth, and business engagement. Although not part of the JMC delegation, the Minister for Economy and Labour, the Hon. Jason Hayward, JP, MP, participated in sessions focused on economic development.
During the business engagement segment, the Premier served as a panellist, showcasing Bermuda’s economic diversity and resilience. These sessions facilitated direct dialogue with UK Ministers and stakeholders to strengthen collaboration.
The Joint Communiqué outlining the outcomes of the 2025 JMC is available via https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-and-overseas-territories-joint-ministerial-council-2025-communique.
Outside of JMC activities, the Premier delivered opening remarks at the Bermuda Business Development Agency’s event “A London Forum: The Bermuda Advantage.”