On Monday, September 7, 2020, during an interview with 284 Media, Mr Jaspert said paying reparations to the VI for acts of slavery and the slave trade is not the position of the UK at the moment.

He also called for relics of slavery such as the channel named after slave owner Sir Francis Drake to be preserved in the Territory.

On Monday, September 7, 2020, during an interview with 284 Media, Mr Jaspert said paying reparations to the VI for acts of slavery and the slave trade is not the position of the UK at the moment. He also called for relics of slavery such as the channel named after Slave Owner Sir Francis Drake to be preserved in the Territory for educational purposes.

Keeping a record

However, despite calls from several in the community for the Governor to apologise, those calls have fallen on deft ears even as the insensitive remarks were outright condemned.

According to Skelton-Cline, “We're not so much expecting it [apology], but we have to put it and keep track and keep a record in the name of our ancestors that we will hold the forth and protect their service and sacrifice that has gotten us to where we are today,” he said on the Thursday, October 22, 2020 edition of the show.

Skelton-Cline said that the people of the territory has a responsibility to leave the place better than in was found as such, remarks by the governor ought to be condemned.

“To that end, we continue to hold each other and anyone else's feet to the fire who look to encroach and look to whether consciously or unconsciously, bring any hurt or harm to our people,” he said.

Systemic vigilance

He said further, there ought to be a systemic vigilance and zealousness in place to handle instances like that of the Governor on behalf of the ancestors.

“We have a responsibility to protect and to preserve the integrity, the rich history and heritage of our people and to carry that forward with the same fervour,” he said.