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Monday, Jun 23, 2025

CoI: UK unable to let go of colonial legacy as ‘rule setters’ - Daniel F. Davies

CoI: UK unable to let go of colonial legacy as ‘rule setters’ - Daniel F. Davies

Silk Legal Attorney-at-Law, Mr Daniel F. Davies has called out the double standards of the United Kingdom (UK) government to execute a Commission of Inquiry into governance in the Virgin Islands (VI), yet rejecting an inquiry into its own disastrous handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the same pandemic given as the reason.

Mr Davies, a Virgin Islander, appearing on the May 4, 2021, edition of the ‘Honestly Speaking’ radio show on ZBVI 780 AM, told show moderator Claude O. Skelton-Cline that if a CoI now is not the right time in the UK it cannot be right to execute one on the Virgin Islands that is facing the same pandemic.

Commissioner Gary R. Hickinbottom, left, and Press Secretary Mr Steven Chandler, right are the current faces of the VI CoI being executed on the Andrew A. Fahie Government.


‘I reject the way CoI is being conducted’ – Davies


“As a Virgin Islander, I also reject the way in which this Commission of Inquiry is being conducted, it should be a public inquiry. If this is a democratic institution, which it should be in line with our constitution, how is it the public does not generally know what is going on?” he questioned.

He said currently, the CoI appears to only be releasing information at the will of the commissioner.

"By allowing the commissioner to publicise certain things, it is allowing the United Kingdom to dictate the narrative,” he went on to say.

Further, Davies illustrated that the UK CoI is headquartered at 22 Whitehall, London in the UK; meaning, that the UK Government is in their house trying to sort out VI’s businesses from outside the territory.

The CoI was announced by controversial ex-governor Augustus J. U. Jaspert, who was accused of trying to bully the democratically elected government headed by Premier Andrew A. Fahie (R1) and causing a strain in the relationship between government and the electorate.


UK unable to let go of colonial past – Davies


“One of the reasons why the United Kingdom has gone through the BREXIT process is because they are tired of being rule-takers… they want to be rule setters,” he said.

According to Mr Davies, the UK has no right to be setting rules, especially when they seem unable to run their own house in terms of their affairs in the UK.

“It's as if they are still very interested in their colonial past, it seems to be they want to a rule setter as a part of the colonial legacy that they are unable to let go of, despite the sun setting on the British Empire long ago,” Davies said.

The CoI was announced by controversial ex-governor Augustus J. U. Jaspert, who was accused of trying to bully the democratically elected government headed by Premier Andrew A. Fahie (R1) and causing a strain in the relationship between government and the electorate. Mr Jaspert was also accused of trying to bully the legislature when he reportedly attempted to dictate to the Speaker to call a sitting of the House of Assembly (HoA).

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