Former Cayman Islands Premier McKeeva Bush has had his Officer of the Order of the British Empire award revoked by King Charles III due to his conviction for assault, according to the UK government.
In a list of 12 individuals who had their honours forfeited, which was posted to the UK government’s website on 22 Aug., the official reason for the revocation of Bush’s OBE was due to a ‘criminal conviction’.
According to The Gazette, an online publication of official UK public records, “The KING has directed that the appointment of William McKeeva BUSH to be an Officer of the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, dated 31 December 1996, shall be cancelled and annulled and that his name shall be erased from the Register of the said Order.”
The reason given by the UK government conflicts with Bush’s earlier claim that King Charles III had received and approved his request to voluntarily renounce the OBE award. Mr. Bush continued to insist Tuesday that he had chosen to relinquish the honour of his own volition.
Initially taking to his personal Facebook page, on 11 Aug., Bush wrote that in January 2023 he became conflicted about retaining an award that “celebrated imperialism and perpetuated a system of class and privilege” – this after holding the honour for 26 years.
The veteran politician, and the current West Bay West MP, has been the subject of several criminal allegations, investigations and charges in the past 15 years.
However, he has only been convicted of one incident, in an assault case that stems from a drunken altercation that occurred at Coral Beach bar along West Bay Road, in February 2020.
In December of that year, he was convicted of the assault charges and received a two-month prison sentence, which was suspended for two years, and fined nearly $5,000.
The official reason for Bush losing his OBE is listed on the UK government website on a page titled, ‘Individuals whose honours have been revoked by the sovereign’.
The introduction to the page indicates, “Honours are revoked where an individual is deemed to have brought the honours system into disrepute. This page lists those whose honours have been forfeited.”
Bush is then listed in a linked document along with 11 other people who ‘forfeited their honour’ for August 2023. ‘Criminal conviction’ is listed as the ‘reason for forfeiture’.
Guidance notes, on the same web page, explain: “Honours can be taken away from people who have done something to damage the honours system’s reputation. Taking an honour away is called ‘forfeiture’”.
The Cayman Compass was not able to confirm if Bush did in fact reach out to voluntarily surrender his OBE award in January. However, if this were the case it would have been against a backdrop of forfeiture proceedings which commenced in December 2020 following his conviction.
In an email thread viewed by the Compass, a request was submitted by a member of the public to the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office calling for the forfeiture – citing Bush’s conviction.
In response to the initial email, the FCO confirmed receipt and stated that the office was aware of the convictions and a review for forfeiture would be forthcoming.
The OBE is one of several awards and honours that can be bestowed upon UK citizens and/or foreign nationals for exceptional service in numerous areas.
According to the UK government’s cabinet website, it is possible for an award recipient to request to relinquish an award/title, but it must first be approved by the monarch.
In his post, Bush claimed he requested to relinquish the award to focus on further strengthening Cayman’s own national awards and honours system.
“While I was immensely proud at the time to receive my award, granted by the beloved late Queen Elizabeth II, one whom I had good contact with and certainly respected and appreciated, I want to use my remaining years as a representative of the people focused on celebrating our National Heroes and shaping the conversation on what makes a Hero,” wrote Bush in his social media post.
The process of revocation also allows the awardee to submit a defence and give a reason as to why they should not have their award revoked.
Within the thread of emails, that span two years and eight months, the FCO in February stated that a meeting of the forfeiture committee had commenced and an official recommendation for the forfeiture of the OBE status would to be submitted to the UK prime minister, who would then recommend it to the King for a final decision.
In those emails, the FCO confirmed that, once a recommendation has been made, a voluntary relinquishment could not supersede or interrupt the process.
After the official reason for Bush’s forfeiture was published on Tuesday, the Compass reached out to him for comment.
“I knew that my enemies here and in the foreign office and others, was trying to embarrass me,” Bush told the Compass via WhatsApp.
He added, “I stand by the facts of what I have posted on my FB!! I did not give them the satisfaction and glory of doing it their way!! I surrendered it in January 2023! Over the years I hardly put it on my chest anyway – for the reasons I have said – and I was finally successful in getting the Cayman awards!!!”
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