Beautiful Virgin Islands

Thursday, Oct 30, 2025

Governor Rankin forced to admit to overreach in his dealings as Governor

Governor Rankin forced to admit to overreach in his dealings as Governor

British appointed Governor to the British Virgin Islands, Rankin on Wednesday, admitted under questioning that there is a need for more self-governance in the Territory
The appearance, last week, before the Commission of Inquiry (COI) of Premier Andrew Fahie and that of former governor John Rankin yesterday (Wednesday, October 20, 2021) bring to the fore the pressing need for more autonomy, more sovereignty and ultimately independence of the Virgin Islands.

These territories were captured by the British centuries ago. The indigenous people were first killed off in a brutal act of genocide. Soon after, enslaved Africans were brought in to do the bull work while the British overlords 'lived lavishly off the hog.'

Premier Fahie complained during his testimony, his administration was being dragged over the coals for acts of governance for which it did not have ultimate responsibility. He specifically pointed to the civil service and the police force.

In fact, he noted that when there was a big drug haul last year, his administration was implicated. He and his wife were accused of being drug barons. However, the security of the territory rest with the governor. He retains control over the state. But when Premier Fahie's administration contracted barges to help to protect the homeland, the commissioner questioned the agreement and alleged cronyism and other improper practices.

The Governor of the territory sits in cabinet and oversees the operations. He has veto power over literally everything that the government does, yet the COI seems intent on absolving the governor and placing all blame on local politicians and civil servants for any and every perceived misdeed that may have occurred over the years.

It would have been laughable had it not been so serious when the Commissioner told Premier Fahie that there is a collective responsibility that follows even the most junior minister for things that may go wrong in government.

Yesterday, Governor John Rankin pointed to the truth of Premier Fahie’s testimony. Rankin told the COI that he maintained questionable loyalty. He represented the British government and the people of BVI. As a white British citizen governing an overwhelmingly black nation, his mindset and actions would certainly be to protect his motherland.

In an answer to a question from Mr Rowat, governor Rankin was forced to admit to overreach in his dealings as governor. He implied that there is a need for more self-governance.

Locals run the companies registry and do an amazing job, he conceded. The registry is ranked as one of the best in the world. The local authorities exchange information with corruption fighting agencies to ensure that the country's reputation is not tarnished with money laundering and other negative publicity.

After more than 50 days of inquiry, the commission has failed to reveal any evidence of corrupt practices. As premier Fahie said, a COI into the activities of any government in the world will find practices or policies that can be questioned. However, there is no evidence that government leaders and other high officials have been illegally lining their pockets from the public purse.

The clear takeaway from the testimony is for the COI to be swiftly wrapped up with recommendations for a curtailment of the governor's powers to interfere with actions of the elected government, for greater autonomy, sovereignty and self-governance.

At the most basic level, Britain's centuries-long colonial authority in the BVI is an assault on the dignity and aspirations of the people of the territory. It is now past time for Virgin islanders to be allowed to govern their own affairs.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
UK and Vietnam Sign Landmark Migration Deal to Fast-Track Returns of Irregular Arrivals
UK Drug-Pricing Overhaul Essential for Life-Sciences Ambition, Says GSK Chief
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie Temporarily Leave the UK Amid Their Parents’ Royal Fallout
UK Weighs Early End to Oil and Gas Windfall Tax as Reeves Seeks Investment Commitments
UK Retail Inflation Slows as Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since Spring
Next Raises Full-Year Profit Guidance After Strong Third-Quarter Performance
Reform UK’s Lee Anderson Admits to 'Gaming' Benefits System While Advocating Crackdown
United States and South Korea Conclude Major Trade Accord Worth $350 Billion
Hurricane Melissa Strikes Cuba After Devastating Jamaica With Record Winds
Vice President Vance to Headline Turning Point USA Campus Event at Ole Miss
U.S. Targets Maritime Narco-Routes While Border Pressure to Mexico Remains Limited
Bill Gates at 70: “I Have a Real Fear of Artificial Intelligence – and Also Regret”
Elon Musk Unveils Grokipedia: An AI-Driven Alternative to Wikipedia
Saudi Arabia Unveils Vision for First-Ever "Sky Stadium" Suspended Over Desert Floor
Amazon Announces 14 000 Corporate Job Cuts as AI Investment Accelerates
UK Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since March, Food Leads the Decline
London Stock Exchange Group ADR (LNSTY) Earns Zacks Rank #1 Upgrade on Rising Earnings Outlook
Soap legend Tony Adams, long-time star of Crossroads, dies at 84
Rachel Reeves Signals Tax Increases Ahead of November Budget Amid £20-50 Billion Fiscal Gap
NatWest Past Gains of 314% Spotlight Opportunity — But Some Key Risks Remain
UK Launches ‘Golden Age’ of Nuclear with £38 Billion Sizewell C Approval
UK Announces £1.08 Billion Budget for Offshore Wind Auction to Boost 2030 Capacity
UK Seeks Steel Alliance with EU and US to Counter China’s Over-Capacity
UK Struggles to Balance China as Both Strategic Threat and Valued Trading Partner
Argentina’s Markets Surge as Milei’s Party Secures Major Win
British Journalist Sami Hamdi Detained by U.S. Authorities After Visa Revocation Amid Israel-Gaza Commentary
King Charles Unveils UK’s First LGBT+ Armed Forces Memorial at National Memorial Arboretum
At ninety-two and re-elected: Paul Biya secures eighth term in Cameroon amid unrest
Racist Incidents Against UK Nurses Surge by 55%
UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves Cites Shared Concerns With Trump Administration as Foundation for Early US-UK Trade Deal
Essentra plc: A Closer Look at a UK ‘Penny Stock’ Opportunity Amid Market Weakness
U.S. and China Near Deal to Avert Rare-Earth Export Controls Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit
Justin time: Justin Herbert Shields Madison Beer with Impressive Reflex at Lakers Game
Russia’s President Putin Declares Burevestnik Nuclear Cruise Missile Ready for Deployment
Giuffre’s Memoir Alleges Maxwell Claimed Sexual Act with Clooney
House Republicans Move to Strip NYC Mayoral Front-Runner Zohran Mamdani of U.S. Citizenship
Record-High Spoiled Ballots Signal Voter Discontent in Ireland’s 2025 Presidential Election
Philippines’ Taal Volcano Erupts Overnight with 2.4 km Ash Plume
Albania’s Virtual AI 'Minister' Diella Set to 'Birth' Eighty-Three Digital Assistants for MPs
Tesla Unveils Vision for Optimus V3 as ‘Biggest Product of All Time’, Including Surgical Capabilities
Francis Ford Coppola Auctions Luxury Watches After Self-Financed Film Flop
Convicted Sex Offender Mistakenly Freed by UK Prison Service Arrested in London
United States and China Begin Constructive Trade Negotiations Ahead of Trump–Xi Summit
U.S. Treasury Sanctions Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro over Drug-Trafficking Allegations
Miss USA Crowns Nebraska’s Audrey Eckert Amid Leadership Overhaul
‘I Am Not Done’: Kamala Harris Signals Possible 2028 White House Run
NBA Faces Integrity Crisis After Mass Arrests in Gambling Scandal
Swift Heist at the Louvre Sees Eight French Crown Jewels Stolen in Under Seven Minutes
U.S. Halts Trade Talks with Canada After Ontario Ad Using Reagan Voice Triggers Diplomatic Fallout
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
×