Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

No Plans For Independence, No Vote

No Plans For Independence, No Vote

Government Consultant Mr. Claude Skelton -Cline said political parties seeking his support and vote in the upcoming General Election would have to be clear on their position of independence for the British Virgin Islands.
Mr. Skelton-Cline has backed both major political parties. He campaigned heavily for now ruling Virgin Islands Party (VIP) in the lead up to the 2019 polls and he was previously a candidate on the National Democratic Party (NDP) ticket.

Addressing the issue during his Honestly Speaking Radio Programme on Tuesday, August 17, 2021, he said the people of the territory are going to have to decide how they are going to go about choosing people to sit in the House of Assembly other than the way it has been done in the past.

“In the 2023 election, and coming up to that, there is going to be a litmus test that I have; anybody who is running for office and is looking for my support is going to have to declare their position on the matter of independence, and I am not going to let them get away with saying “Of course! We are going to become independent”; no,” he declared.

He continued: “I want to hear a vision, crafted, communicated and cast to the wider population about your position on the matter of these Virgin Islands in short order becoming the final arbiters of their faith and the complete work of decolonization has ended. I want to hear that from every candidate else I am not lending you my ear, much less my heart and certainly not my vote; that’s what I am going to be looking for.”

The Talk Show Host also had a second request.

“The second thing is, anybody who comes before you, whether as a district candidate or as an at-large candidate or as a party, needs to have a vision that they can clearly articulate, concretely, not no pie in the sky notion; concisely and clearly. You can’t lead people if you don’t have a vision and you can’t lead people you don’t love, and I wanna know, where’s your vision, what is your position on independence and how do you really feel about people?” he stated.

“You are just a psychopath, a manipulator or are you a lover of people? You just want to run for office because you want power because you think that power will make you? You want to run for office because you looking for status because you think status will make you? If you do not have status before you were elected, you are not going to have once you are elected. Because all power does is reveal the crazy in us, it don’t make who you are, it reveals who you are!” he added.

Notably, Premier and Minister for Finance Hon. Andrew Fahie has been one of the most vocal leaders on the push for self-reliance/self-determination for the territory.

He has said publicly that on the journey towards that goal, “which must come one of these days, every step we make, every thought we think, everything that we do must reflect that we are moving towards that level because the future is coming whether you want it or not, you have a determination to be prepared for when the future comes because if not the future will prepare for you and usually that kind of preparation is not good.”

Deputy Premier Dr. Natalio Wheatley has also sought for the public’s support for the Premier as he pushes back against colonialism.

“Sometimes we get fearful when we speak about not being under this colonial system anymore and when you have a leader who is willing to stand up and fight against it, give him some backup," Dr. Wheatley said during a public event on February 7 this year.

He added, "even though we might disagree with the Premier on one or two issues here, don’t take it for granted that you have a leader of a territory who is not afraid to stand up for the people and not assert our rights as people because you and I know that this thing called colonialism is not right. It’s not human. It’s not what should be promoted."
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Panama Port Owner Balances US-China Pressures
France Implements Nationwide Outdoor Smoking Ban to Protect Children
German Chancellor Merz Keeps Putin Guessing on Missile Strategy
Mandelson Criticizes UK's 'Fetish' for Abandoning EU Regulations
British Fishing Boat Owner Fined €30,000 by French Authorities
Dutch government falls as far-right leader Wilders quits coalition
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
×