Beautiful Virgin Islands

Friday, Oct 17, 2025

UK decides not to partially suspend BVI constitution

UK decides not to partially suspend BVI constitution

Governor John Rankin has just announced that the United Kingdom (UK) has decided not to impose a partial suspension of the BVI’s constitution and has accepted the National Unity Government’s proposal on how to implement the other recommendations outlined in the Commission of Inquiry (COI) report.

This means the BVI’s elected officials have been given the opportunity to continue governing through the House of Assembly without Britain imposing direct rule over the territory.

Since the publication of the COI report, Governor Rankin and the UK government has been having talks with Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley and his administration. And according to Rankin, all parties agreed that a fundamental shift in governance in the BVI is required.

As such such, he said the focus of the aforesaid talks rested on whether the Government of National Unity should lead the reforms or an interim Governor-led administration should be established.

“Last week, following discussions, the Government of National Unity submitted a final proposal to the UK Government outlining, with clear timelines, how they will deliver the COI recommendations but without the need for a temporary partial suspension of the Constitution,” Rankin said.

“I can inform you this morning that UK Ministers have agreed to the proposal submitted by the Government of National Unity. The Premier and Government of National Unity have shown the will and commitment to improve governance in the BVI and therefore it is right that elected officials here should have the opportunity to implement the COI recommendations,” the Governor continued.

Rankin said he was pleased the Government of National Unity has made its firm commitment to carry out far-reaching reforms, including going beyond the COI report, to fix the failings of governance and he welcomed the detailed plan the government has set out to implement the COI recommendations.

“I also recognise that the Premier has demonstrated his commitment by making a number of changes already. Many more difficult decisions will be required to make the deep and systemic changes necessary to improve governance in the BVI and much hard work will be required,” the Governor said.

UK could still impose direct rule if gov’t shirks commitments


Though the UK has opted not to do a temporary takeover, Governor Rankin said accepting the BVI government’s proposals came with certain conditions.

“I and the UK government want the Government of National Unity to succeed in making these changes and delivering the COI recommendations. But the UK government has a responsibility to the people of the BVI to make sure that happens. To ensure these commitments are kept, the proposal therefore contains several conditions surrounding implementation,” he added.

Governor Rankin said the proposal contains a set of strict delivery milestones that must be adhered to. These include regular public updates with each government ministry and their departments providing monthly delivery reports.

“I will formally assess progress every three months before sending a quarterly update to the Foreign Secretary. This will continue throughout the full period of COI implementation, which is estimated to be two years,” Rankin said.

“If the Government of National Unity, or any subsequent government, fails to deliver any of the milestones without reasonable justification, or I assess that progress is being frustrated in any way, the UK Government and I will take action to protect the interests of the people of the BVI,” he added.

The actions include continuing the option of temporarily suspending the House of Assembly and Cabinet, with a temporary Governor-led Interim Administration assisted by an Advisory Council, to drive forward the implementation of any outstanding recommendations.

“The UK government has put in place the framework to do this through an Order in Council. This is the procedural order put before the Privy Council of the UK which is required to make changes to the Constitution of the BVI. This will allow the Foreign Secretary to swiftly provide me with the powers needed to take corrective action if progress against the milestones is unsatisfactory,” Rankin said.

“If the government of the BVI delivers on the commitments and promises they have made, then the Order in Council will be kept in reserve and will not need to be used. In the meantime, I will continue to work constructively in partnership with the Premier and his Government in what I believe is a fair and balanced approach,” the Governor continued.

The Governor said he welcomed the Premier’s commitment to take the measures needed to implement change. He also thanked the people of the territory for their calm and measured response during recent turbulent and challenging times.

“I know that most people of the BVI are honest, hard-working, and caring. The reputation of the British Virgin Islands sits on the shoulders of these individuals, and not on the small minority who wish to profit at their expense,” Governor Rankin said.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
U.S. Revokes Visas of Foreign Nationals Who ‘Celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
DJI Loses Appeal to Remove Pentagon’s ‘Chinese Military Company’ Label
EU Deploys New Biometric Entry/Exit System: What Non-EU Travelers Must Know
Australian Prime Minister’s Private Number Exposed Through AI Contact Scraper
Ex-Microsoft Engineer Confirms Famous Windows XP Key Was Leaked Corporate License, Not a Hack
China’s lesson for the US: it takes more than chips to win the AI race
Australia Faces Demographic Risk as Fertility Falls to Record Low
California County Reinstates Mask Mandate in Health Facilities as Respiratory Illness Risk Rises
Israel and Hamas Agree to First Phase of Trump-Brokered Gaza Truce, Hostages to Be Freed
French Political Turmoil Elevates Marine Le Pen as Rassemblement National Poised for Power
China Unveils Sweeping Rare Earth Export Controls to Shield ‘National Security’
The Davos Set in Decline: Why the World Economic Forum’s Power Must Be Challenged
France: Less Than a Month After His Appointment, the New French Prime Minister Resigns
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated that Hungary will not adopt the euro because the European Union is falling apart.
Sarah Mullally Becomes First Woman Appointed Archbishop of Canterbury
Mayor in western Germany in intensive care after stabbing
Australian government pays Deloitte nearly half a million dollars for a report built on fabricated quotes, fake citations, and AI-generated nonsense.
US Prosecutors Gained Legal Approval to Hack Telegram Servers
Macron Faces Intensifying Pressure to Resign or Trigger New Elections Amid France’s Political Turmoil
Standard Chartered Names Roberto Hoornweg as Sole Head of Corporate & Investment Banking
UK Asylum Housing Firm Faces Backlash Over £187 Million Profits and Poor Living Conditions
UK Police Crack Major Gang in Smuggling of up to 40,000 Stolen Phones to China
BYD’s UK Sales Soar Nearly Nine-Fold, Making Britain Its Biggest Market Outside China
Trump Proposes Farm Bailout from Tariff Revenues Amid Backlash from Other Industries
FIFA Accuses Malaysia of Forging Citizenship Documents, Suspends Seven Footballers
Latvia to Bar Tourist and Occasional Buses to Russia and Belarus Until 2026
A Dollar Coin Featuring Trump’s Portrait Expected to Be Issued Next Year
Australia Orders X to Block Murder Videos, Citing Online Safety and Public Exposure
Three Scientists Awarded Nobel Prize in Medicine for Discovery of Immune Self-Tolerance Mechanism
×