Beautiful Virgin Islands

Friday, Aug 08, 2025

Don’t pre-judge meetings with OT Minister, Premier says

Don’t pre-judge meetings with OT Minister, Premier says

Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has cautioned residents not to make premature conclusions ahead of talks with United Kingdom (UK) Overseas Territories Minister, Lord Zac Goldsmith which are expected to be held in the BVI next week.
Among other things, Premier Wheatley is expected to resume dialogue with Lord Goldsmith on the issue of removing the Order in Council for the BVI held in reserve in the UK parliament.

Since previous discussions on the removal of the Order in Council with former Overseas Territories Minister Amanda Milling last year, Dr Wheatley said his government has shown much dedication to achieving governance reforms as set out in the framework agreement signed with the UK.

That agreement stemmed from a damning Commission of Inquiry (COI) report on the state of the territory’s governance and helped to stave of direct rule by the UK, as recommended in the report.

“I think since then we’ve shown a great commitment to the reforms,” Premier Wheatley told reporters at a press conference yesterday.

He continued: ”It may have been premature to engage on that (requesting to remove the order) before making such a strong commitment to the reforms [and letting] them know that we’re serious about the question of reform. And really, having a Order and Council is not the right way to encourage and to engage further engagement.”

Dr Wheatley dismissed assertions that he was not persuasive enough in his arguments with the UK to have the order in council removed and also argued that he was taking the views of residents into consideration during his discussions.

“I would say don’t prejudge the outcome of the meetings. As I said, the meetings are ongoing. Let’s at least see how the meetings go before we judge whether I’m effective or persuasive or not,” the Premier said.

According to Dr Wheatley, his challenge was not simply one of being persuasive, but rather about showing a real dedication to the BVI’s partnership with the UK.

“It’s a matter of showing a real commitment to the partnership – a real commitment to transparency, accountability, adherence to the rule of law – all of those things make a difference in terms of us making a case. And of course, the voice of the people of the Virgin Islands is of paramount importance in terms of this particular issue,” the Premier added.

Dr Wheatley declined to indicate that he was confident that the Order in Council would be removed, arguing that it was ultimately the decision of the UK Foreign Secretary.

According to the Premier, his government has been engaging positively throughout talks with the UK and will give them every reason to have the Order in Council removed.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Administration Increases Reward for Arrest of Venezuelan President Maduro to Fifty Million Dollars
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
OpenAI Launches GPT‑5, Its Most Advanced AI Model Yet
Embarrassment in Britain: Homelessness Minister Evicted Tenants and Forced to Resign
President Trump nominated Stephen Miran, his top economic adviser and a critic of the Federal Reserve, to temporarily fill an open Fed seat
The AI-Powered Education Revolution: Market Potential and Transformative Impact
Chikungunya Virus Outbreak in Southern China: Over 7,000 Hospitalized
French wine makers have seen catastrophic damage to vines that were almost ready to be harvested after the worst fires in more than 70 years burned through the south of the country
US Lawmaker Probes Intel CEO’s China Ties Amid National Security Concerns
Brazilian President Lula says he’ll contact the leaders of BRICS states to propose a unified response to U.S. tariffs
Trump Open to Meeting Putin as Soon as Next Week, with Possible Trilateral Summit Including Zelenskiy
Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau spark dating rumors, joining high stakes world of celeb-politician romances
US envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow to seek a breakthrough in the Ukraine war ahead of President Trump’s peace deadline
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Karol Nawrocki Inaugurated as Poland’s President, Setting Stage for Clash with Tusk Government
Trump Signals JD Vance as ‘Most Likely’ MAGA Successor for 2028
US Charges Two Chinese Nationals for Illegal Nvidia AI Chip Exports
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
U.S. Tariff Policy Triggers Market Volatility Amid Growing Global Trade Tensions
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
Representative Greene Urges H-1B Visa Cuts Amid U.S.-India Trade Tensions
U.S. House Committee Subpoenas Clintons and Senior Officials in Epstein Investigation
Sydney Sweeney Registered as Republican as Controversial American Eagle Ad Sparks Debate
Trump Accuses Major Banks of Politically Motivated Account Denials and Prepares Executive Order
TikTok Removes Huda Kattan Video Over Anti-Israel Conspiracy Claims
Trump Threatens Tariffs on India Over Russian Oil Imports
German Finance Minister Criticizes Trump’s Attacks on Institutions
U.S. Proposes Visa Bond of Up to $15,000 for Some Applicants
U.S. Farmers Increase Lobbying Amid Immigration Crackdown
Elon Musk Receives $23.7 Billion Tesla Stock Award
Texas House Paralyzed After Democrats Walk Out Over Redistricting
Mexican Cartels Complicate Sheinbaum’s U.S. Security Talks
Mark Zuckerberg Declares War on the iPhone
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
Tesla Seeks Shareholder Approval for $29 Billion Compensation Package for Elon Musk
Nvidia is cutting prices on its RTX 50-series graphics cards after sales slowed and inventories piled up
Ghislaine Maxwell Transferred to Minimum-Security Prison Amid Ongoing DOJ Discussions
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Matt Taibbi Slams Media for Role in Russiagate Narrative
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
×