The VI is currently being forced to implement recommendations made by lone Commissioner of the Commission of Inquiry into governance, Gary R. Hickinbottom, who found that serious dishonesty may have taken place in Government and recommended direct rule by the United Kingdom.

The UK has held off on imposing direct rule but, with a noose around the VI's neck, is ensuring that the recommendations of the CoI Report are implemented within a 2-year timeframe or it would activate an Order in Council for direct rule.

All of this is happening while its former Premier Hon Andrew A. Fahie (R1) faces a court trial on drugs and money laundering conspiracy charges.

“I listen to the criticisms and I’m the first to say, I've said it publicly… I was a part of it and I will be the first to admit, I take my blame for whatever I was responsible for and all of us need to do that, not the politicians alone,” he said.

Dr Pickering was at the time speaking as a guest on the June 28, 2022, Honestly Speaking radio show hosted by Claude O. Skelton-Cline.

He added, “Those of us who are in elected office and who have been in elected office didn't put ourselves there.”

“And so those of us who have been elected and those of us who have done wrong things and in places where we probably dream, we'd never be. We didn't get there on our own,” he said.

The UK has held off on imposing direct rule but, with a noose around the VI's neck, is ensuring that the recommendations of the CoI Report are implemented within a 2-year timeframe or it would activate an Order in Council for direct rule.

Electorate & Politicians must take the blame - Dr Pickering

Dr Pickering added that both the voters and elected politicians must take responsibility for our own actions, “Those who elected us and put us in places and things happen, can't just run and blame. You have to ask yourself; did I make the right choice?”

By asking that question he said when the choice comes again, that decision on who is elected is ultimately going to determine where the VI goes from there.

“They can't be taken lightly because the political crisis that we find ourselves in now, all of us, have to take responsibility and all of us have to put our hands to the plow and find ways to try collectively to ensure that we chart a way forward for the future of this country and for future generations,” he added.

Meanwhile, Dr Pickering added that the VI has achieved a lot in a short space of time, and in a lot of ways, the people have become prideful and hearty.

He said people should avoid playing the blame game on the current state of the VI, "We are where we are, where do we go from here?" he questioned.