Slayton on how we should prepare for Obama era

Bermuda should "hope for the best, prepare for the worst" under an Obama presidency, Gregory Slayton has said.

The U.S. Consul General said it is too early to tell how Bermuda will fare under the new Washington regime, but cautioned that American policy makers can change life forever here with the flourish of a pen.

Mr. Slayton - who is one of few U.S. ambassadors to be asked to stay in his post by the new administration - said: "Bermuda can be important to America. But the other way around, America is absolutely critical to Bermuda. I think that's something that not everyone always recognizes. At least 75 per cent of all Bermuda's imports, its tourists and its financial capital come directly from the United States of America."

During the election fight, Obama promised to clamp down on tax havens, and pointed to companies in Bermuda as among those that would be targeted. Mr. Slayton believes a lot of that talk was electioneering. However, the island must increase its efforts to prove its worth to its nearest neighbour. "Certainly there is going to be change in Washington. Certainly Bermuda won't be at the top of Obama's priority list, but it certainly needs to be prepared."

Book on U.S./BDA

Mr. Slayton, together with his wife, has just completed a book on 400 years of U.S.-Bermuda relations. The couple's research shows relations have ebbed and flowed, but they were at one of their lowest points earlier in this decade. "There was a great deal of antipathy, or perhaps benign neglect. In 1998 the PLP came to power, George Bush [came to power] in 2000; both had priorities that didn't include each other." During a visit to Washington in 2006 he said he found Bermuda was barely on the radar. "From some very senior members of congress I heard: 'Oh, Bermuda, they have nice beaches there. Are they doing any business at all? Are they selling coconut oil?'"

Mr. Slayton believes knowledge and understanding between the countries has improved greatly in the past few years, partly as a result of regular political visits. He said such efforts are essential in coming years if Bermuda is going to prove its worth and keep the U.S. onside.

Courtesy of Bermuda Sun reporter Tim Hall