Anguilla’s opposition leader Ellis Webster has rejected the government’s second budget boost of 2026, describing the EC$39.38 million increase in public spending as “astronomical”.
“I cannot support this bill as it is written and presented,” he said during debate on the supplementary appropriation by members of the Anguilla House of Assembly on 13 October.
Webster said the Bill for Supplementary Appropriation (2026) (No. 2) Act, 2026, which the assembly later passed without amendments, was “of significant concern“.
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‘Higher priority’
On 9 October, Premier Cora Richardson Hodge moved the bill, which proposed to raise the revised expenditure budget for the 2026 financial year from $657.63m to about $697.01m.
It featured $9.18m to continue the government’s fuel surcharge relief programme, $2.4m for overseas medical treatment, and $16m to purchase Cinnamon Reef from the Anguilla Social Security Board.
A further $11.8m in capital expenditure was allocated towards the proposed purchase of permanent office premises for Anguilla in the United Kingdom.
Webster said that while he supported additional funding for overseas medical treatment and fuel surcharge relief, he could not back the purchase of Cinnamon Reef and the UK office.
“A state-of-the-art hospital and access to more medical services should be a higher priority to the people of Anguilla and more appropriate use of $27.8m,” he said.
Cinnamon Reef
The Anguilla Social Security Investment and Development Corporation (ASSIDCO), the investment subsidiary of the Social Security Board, bought Cinnamon Reef in 2009.
According to the premier, it entered into a lease and purchase arrangement with the government for the Little Harbour property the following year.
However, the arrangement did not proceed as originally anticipated following the global economic downturn, leaving financial and property matters unresolved for years.
The government is now working towards a negotiated settlement that would allow the board to recover its verified net investment and bring the property into government ownership.
In his speech on the bill, Webster referenced the government’s agreement in 2016 to repay $214m to the Social Security Board for losses incurred during the banking crisis.
Webster said this meant Anguillians were already effectively paying twice for the lost funds, adding that further obligation to the board or its associated company is unjustified.
UK office
The supplementary budget includes $11.8m towards the proposed purchase of permanent premises for Anguilla’s office in the UK.
A non-binding offer has been accepted on a property in London and the government is carrying out due diligence before deciding whether to proceed with the acquisition.
The premier said a permanent office would strengthen Anguilla’s representation in the UK by supporting engagement with the government, parliament and organisations on issues affecting the island.
It could also help build connections with Anguillians living in the UK and create opportunities for cooperation in education, investment, professional development and information technology, she added.
However, Webster said the proposed spending had drawn widespread opposition from people in Anguilla and abroad who objected to using public funds for a foreign office of that cost.
“This is not the type of money that can be spent from the public purse overseas when there’s so many needs at home,” he said.
