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When Leader of the Opposition Shyne Barrow went to meet with the four visiting British Members of Parliament at the Biltmore yesterday - they were here through the arrangement of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.
But he walked in with one VIP who was not a parliamentarian, Michael Ashcroft.
Barrow told us, quote, "Lord Ashcroft did attend as a guest of the UK Delegation, the Conservative Members of Parliament are his friends from their days when he was their Party Chairman."
He later told me that "it was innocent" and explained that Ashcroft had invited him to a lunch meeting with the MP's - and when he realized that the National Assembly had arranged a formal meeting with them later that afternoon - he decided, quote, "I had no problem bringing someone - who had already gotten a green light- to join my meeting."
And the meeting - we would expect was decidedly anti-government - Shyne says "We discussed the Opposition views on a host of issues including but not limited to Education, Public Finance, Environment, Trade, Women and Youth etc."
But, while many politicians have taken breakfast and lunch meetings with Ashcroft, Shyne Barrow is the first to bring him as a "plus one" to a state level event. While Ashcroft detractors - and they are legion - may frown - it's also a major flex for the party leader whose party had a major election loss one week ago. It's a statement saying he's rolling with Belize's only billionaire, and the biggest known political donor in the past three decades.
