Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Jul 14, 2025

'Our action to BREXIT should not be a reaction!'- Claude O. Skelton-Cline

Outspoken ZBVI 780 radio moderator and pastor, Mr Claude O. Skelton-Cline has challenged the people of the Virgin Islands to have more dialogues regarding the issues surrounding Brexit and the future of the VI under a United Kingdom outside of the European Union.

"We should not go to bed like Rip van Winkle and sleep through a revolution, they have made their stand as who and what they [are] going to be, even as they struggle with their own reassessment and realignment in the earth, and we as Virgin Islanders ought to be thinking and talking the same things, who are we going to be?" Skelton-Cline stated.


Building a future outside of EU

"What is going to be our relationship with the United Kingdom if any? What is that going to look like? What is our constitutional review going to resolve? What kind of self-determined or independent path are we setting?" He asked.

According to the commentator, in addition to asking complex questions regarding the future of the Territory, one must also contemplate what roadmap is being created to put the future generations of Virgin Islanders on a stronger and a better footing as global citizens.

"These are the kind of conversations that needs to be heightened, that needs to be accelerated, that needs to be had and we need to be having. And we need not wait for the government to do that," he said.

Already, Premier and Minister of Finance Hon Andrew A. Fahie, in statements released ahead of the official Brexit leave on January 31, 2020, said the Territory will be seeking to maintain its relationship with the EU and keep as many of its benefits as possible.

The Premier also indicated that his administration will be pursuing trade opportunities that would have opened as a result of the UK leaving the EU.

Governor of the Virgin Islands, H.E. Augustus J. U. Jaspert told reporters yesterday, February 3, 2020, that in all of the VI's economic pursuits with the EU and prospective economic partners, the UK will no longer be in the negotiating room.


More meaningful dialogue

According to Skelton-Cline, "We as citizens in this country... ought to begin to have meaningful dialogue under the mango tree, by the well, at the taxi stands, in our kitchens, in our living rooms, on the job... these are the kind of conversations that we need to be having."

Skelton-Cline was adamant that the people of the Virgin Islands must not allow themselves to leave their faith and future in the hands of outsiders and other people.

In calling for a self-determined future for the people, Mr Skelton-Cline noted; "Our action to Brexit should not be a reaction, it ought to be an action, it ought to be proactive."

While the UK will no longer fully participate in the economic, social, political and legal arrangements of the EU, Premier Fahie noted that there would be no immediate changes regarding issues like travel, EU funding and other benefits for the VI before the end of 2020.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
A 92-year-old woman, who felt she doesn't belong in a nursing home, escaped the death-camp by climbing a gate nearly 8 ft tall
French Journalist Acquitted in Controversial Case Involving Brigitte Macron
Elon Musk’s xAI Targets $200 Billion Valuation in New Fundraising Round
Kraft Heinz Considers Splitting Off Grocery Division Amid Strategic Review
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
EU Proposes New Tax on Large Companies to Boost Budget
Trump Imposes 35% Tariffs on Canadian Imports Amid Trade Tensions
Junior Doctors in the UK Prepare for Five-Day Strike Over Pay Disputes
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Biden’s Doctor Pleads the Fifth to Avoid Self-Incrimination on President’s Medical Fitness
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
×