Beautiful Virgin Islands

Saturday, Oct 18, 2025

‘We will resist you taking over’ VI- Bishop Cline reiterates to UK

‘We will resist you taking over’ VI- Bishop Cline reiterates to UK

Influential clergyman and Virgin Islander Bishop John I. Cline has expressed that the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) is leading towards direct rule over the Virgin Islands or its finances but will not succeed without a strong fight from the people of this territory, a movement he is ready and capable of promoting.

Mr Cline was at the time a guest on JTV’s The Big Story last night September 21, 2021, with host Cathy O. Richards when he was asked for his take on the CoI based on what has transpired so far.

Prejudicial CoI


The outspoken preacher said that after watching some of the inquires it is obvious that some of it are prejudiced “in terms of some of the counsels, and maybe the whole commission, came in with some preconceived judgements and what they want to do is verify or solidify or validate their preconceived judgement.”

Bishop Cline continued: “If you are doing an inquiry to find the facts then find the facts and let the facts speak for themselves. It’s not saying that you cannot ask questions, but when those questions are very leading and suggestive and if you are not a person who can think on your feet and say I don’t know, I don’t agree, then you can get trapped.”

He also said he doesn’t think the commission “is squeaky clean in terms of their motives.”

Can any good come out of CoI?


Mr Cline; however, noted that he is of the opinion some good will come out of the CoL.

“I think that a lot of good will come out of it," adding that he heard the former legislator Myron V. Walwyn saying on Monday, September 20, 2021, that he has learnt so much about governance “and some of the things we were not doing since, since this CoI, and I heard some of the other Ministers saying the same.

“So they are some good that will come out to strengthen governance, to put some procedures and practices in place that would guard against corruption, not saying that there was, but it would safeguard and strengthen our governance, especially when we are talking about greater autonomy or independence.”

‘A leopard does not change its spots’


Mr Cline said that what is coming out of the CoI has put the territory in a very bad place, “And we have to determine how we are going to deal with the results.

According to Cline, there are four likely results.

“A leopard does not change its spots we know how the UK behaved in the past.”

Mr Cline referenced the Turks and Caicos Islands where the UK suspended the constitution and took over the country. “That’s a likely issue.”

“Anguilla, after the Commission of Inquiry, they took over the Ministry of Finance. They started to run the financial arm of the country, likely result.

“Third likely result, we’ll have a greatly assisted government structure. In other words, we are going to come alongside you, to ensure that you fix what needs to be fixed.

“We are going to bring in some people, put them alongside you, we are going to supervise the transition from what we see as the weakness in your governance structure and we are going to come alongside you and make sure your people are trained, you are trained and everyone knows that we should be on this same page.”

The other likely result, in Mr Cline’s view, is the UK saying to this present government, “We have seen what you have done, we believe it did not lend itself to good governance, but we do not believe that it arises to the point to remove you from office or declare that you are not fit for governance. So here is the timeframe in which you need to do xyz. And if we don’t see you getting it done by xzy we are going to take over.”

‘I will get people to fight with me’


In the final analysis, the Bishop says is of the view that the UK, based on what is likely to be in the report, will throw on the Virgin Islands one of two first observations, the TCI scenario or the Anguilla one.

“I think from what I have seen, they have enough, whether or not they go there that is what we have to make clear to our governor, to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, that the extremes, at least the first extreme is not something that you would not meet resistance about. We will.

“We will resist you taking over our territory and that resistance will be strong.”

Asked if the people of the territory are in that fighting mode, Mr Cline responded, “I could fight and I will get people to fight with me. I could start a fight.”

The United Kingdom-sponsored Commission of Inquiry (CoI), according to Bishop John I. Cline, appears prejudiced and set on validating some preconceived judgement.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
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
×