Anyone living in this country at this time will tell you that things are...well in a word, terrible.  Cost of living is astronomical and climbing higher each day, unemployment is bad and getting worse, crime is ridiculously out of control, our security forces make us more ashamed than secure and corruption seems the normal and acceptable modus operandi among public officials.  Hustling is the order of the day.

Mr. Barrow let loose sighs and phrases like: "huge deficit""the worst is yet to come" and "The upcoming fiscal year will be the hardest."   In a rare and unusual display of humility, Mr. Barrow asked Belizeans for their "support and understanding".   Well for sure, that request could be more readily considered if Belizeans would see the same inclination to austerity from Mr. Barrow and his band of bungling bandits. For Mr. Barrow to shake his Rolex in our faces and asking us to keep our Timex ticking, is unreasonable. We are basically being asked to patch our bikes and keep peddling while we watch his clueless ministers and hand pick hustlers high roll past us in their Infiniti's and custom fitted SUV's.

Belize folk are not known to be unreasonable and have in fact, been often criticized for being too complacent and lenient with politicians.  This current administration in particular, has been given a long rope when we consider the number of misappropriations and blatant misuse of public trust; from the halls of Capital Hill to the corridors of local government.  Yet, shielded by a shamelessly partisan media (probably embarrassed by their obvious misdirecting of the people), this government has been allowed to function, or malfunction as the case may be, free and san souci.

Lord Ashcroft has been a pivotal figure in the financing of David Cameron's revived Tory party. Without his money and his clever strategy in targeting marginal seats, the party would be nowhere.

...if the Tories win the next general election, he(Michael Ashcroft) will want Tory policies that benefit international business and they will be in a weak position to deny what he wants.

~ David Hencke - Guardian's Westminster correspondent

Although the United Kingdom has what is considered a multi-party political system, the so-called first-past-the-post or winner-take-all electoral system has allowed for the dominance of two major political parties.  Though both has at some point required the help of a third party to deliver a working majority in Parliament, since as far back as 1920, political power in the UK has been in the hands of either the Labour or the Conservative Party. The Conservative Party or Tories as they are called, has maintained control of government for about two-thirds of that time but has been in opposition since losing the 1997 elections to Tony Blair's Labour Party.  Current indicators suggest that another change is in the making however, and the Conservatives are poised to once again take control of Britain's parliament.  Recent results show the Labour Party falling far behind in the polls and barring some miraculous turnabout, come next spring, England will once again be flying the dark blue colors of the Conservative Party.  Should these polls and predictions prove correct, then this would no doubt have major implications for us here in Belize.  What makes Britain's coming elections so significant to Belize is the treatment that we have given to one man in particular; a man who incidentally, holds dual citizenship to both countries. 

Sir Michael Anthony Ashcroft, Baron of Chichester in the County of West Sussex was vested as a Knight Commander, Order of St. Michael and St. George (K.C.M.G.) in the year 2000.  For two years prior to that, 1998 to 2000, Ashcroft held the office of Belize's Ambassador to the United Nations. More significantly, from 1998 to 2001, Sir Ashcroft held the post of Senior Party Treasurer to this self same Conservative Party which is set to assume governance of one of the world's most powerful countries.   The truth of the matter is that the name Michael Ashcroft is practically synonymous with the Conservative Party and he remains a prominent player therein.  With David Cameron occupying #10 Downing Street, Sir Ashcroft would no doubt be wielding significant influence and would be in a position to help or hurt whomever he pleases. Michael Ashcroft, for his part, is not an easy man to predict.  He has often been described as rather enigmatic, prompting one British journalist to write,  "Or is part of the Tory deputy chairman's delight in being a man of mystery - like his own admission that he loves his nickname of Ernst Stavro Blofeld - the specter villain in James Bond novels. He even has a toy white Persian cat which he enjoys stroking."

Michael Ashcroft has made it known publicly that he has a profound love for Belize.  He stated in a recent interview, "If home is where the heart is, then Belize is home."  Unfortunately, in recent times, the feeling has been far from mutual.  The Zinc Fence in particular, has spent considerable air-time, ink and energy trying to convince the Belizean public that Michael Ashcroft is a demon, a "virus" or the latest, "a pulpo".  Unfortunately, some supposedly intelligent and well-meaning Belizeans have swallowed the agitprop hook, line and sinker.  Many, some of our current politicians in particular, have grown fat feeding at Michael Ashcroft's money trough, yet readily grab stick and stand in line to partake in Hyde's "hazing" of the man.  Many believe that the UDP's recent strong-arming of BTL was little more than an attempt to pacify Hyde's deep-seated animosity toward Michael Ashcroft. Since assuming office, the UDP has bent backwards to accommodate and placate Evan Hyde's whims, fancies and his insatiable greed and ego.  Someone ought to tell Dean Barrow the story of the scorpion, which was once told by Hyde himself in an apparently "sober" moment.  In his editorial of last Friday's Amandala, Hyde warned that "turmoil...is coming to be visited upon Belize".  Hopefully he is wrong but possibly, he doesn't know the half of it!

Hyde, as he does with every problem that Belize faces, tried to tie the recent UB problems to Michael Ashcroft.  Was Ashcroft ever the Chairman of UB?  Was Ashcroft ever the Minister of Education?  I for one do not believe that Michael Ashcroft is the monster that he is being made out to be.  Michael Ashcroft is a businessman and a very astute and successful one at that.  What Belizeans should realize is that Michael Ashcroft did not come to Belize and "dead-raise."  Ashcroft brought money and was investing in Belize when no one else was.  Ashcroft took a fledging Royal Bank of Canada and turned it into a robust, internationally-acclaimed and hugely successful financial institution.  He did the same for BTL and a number of other Belizean businesses.  Yes he makes money, but that's what business people do!  To suggest that Michael Ashcroft does not pay any taxes is an outright lie.  He does and so do the thousands individuals employed by his various business enterprises.  He also donates generously to a number of charitable organizations, in particular to education, and yes, to UB.