Leader of the People’s Leadership Movement (PLM) Mark H. Vanterpool is not buying Premier Dr the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley’s (R7) explanation that a boundaries commission would be necessary for Anegada and Jost van Dyke to have their own representative in the House of Assembly (HoA). Photo: Facebook

For many years, the residents of Anedaga and Jost van Dyke have expressed disappointment over the lack of representation. Photo: Facebook/File

Former Speaker aand political aspirant Julian Willock previously expressed that Anegada and Jost van Dyke deserve their own representation in the House of Assembly. Photo: Team of Reporters

In a video posted on his Facebook page on July 14, 2026, the former legislator and businessman said instead of seeking to expand the HoA by adding two more At-Large Representatives, serious consideration should be given to creating one District Representative for Jost van Dyke and one District Representative for Anegada.

Mr Vanterpool said this proposal should be discussed during constitutional negotiations with the United Kingdom (UK).

“I would dare to say that representation for Jost van Dyke and Anegada is about strengthening our democracy by ensuring that every significant island community has a strong and dedicated voice in the House of Assembly."

“The British Virgin Islands is not the same territory it was 20 or 30 years ago. We need growth. Our economy needs to evolve. We need to diversify our economy not only on Tortola and Virgin Gorda, but Anegada and Jost Van Dyke also, in order to meet the desires and needs of the residents living on those islands.”

Boundaries Commission not necessary- Vanterpool

Premier Wheatley, while addressing the public engagement session on constitutional negotiations at the Jost van Dyke Methodist Church on Thursday, May 28, 2026, said that while Anegada and Jost van Dyke having separate representatives can happen, it would be “quite irregular”. 

“The Constitution will tell you how many districts and how many At-Large and the Constitution will say if you want to redefine your boundaries or add new districts, that has to go to a Boundaries Commission. So whether Jost van Dyke or Anegada gets its own representative is not a matter for the Constitution; it’s a matter for a Boundaries Commission.”

Mr Vanterpool; however, is not convinced by Premier Wheatley’s explanation, adding that the answer is straightforward, since Anegada and Jost van Dyke are already separate islands with clearly defined geographic boundaries.

“This is not about drawing new lines on a map. So, the excuse that I am hearing that we are to wait until the next time for a Boundary Commission may really be a farce. Some consideration and some clarification need to be made. The lines already exist. Nature created those boundaries long ago."

According to Mr Vanterpool, the Anegada constituency can be easily demarcated as the Island of Anegada. Little Jost van Dyke and Greater Jost van Dyke, he said, can be their own new constituency.

“The real question is whether each of these islands should have its own voice in the House of Assembly. I strongly believe that they should. We are not asking for any special treatment for them. They deserve representation in the House of Assembly as one of the four main islands,” Mr Vanterpool asserted.

Not a new idea

Mr Vanterpool’s recommendation is not a new one, as it was political aspirant Julian Willock who previously expressed that the two islands deserve their own representation in the House of Assembly.

Willock, during an interview on Talking Points on June 22, 2026, contended that representation should not depend on population size. 

“Don't tell me anything about the number...representation is representation. They're big states, and they're small states. They all have 2 senators, and the issue of the population is not a factor,” he added.

Mr Willock concluded by asserting that these two sister islands deserve equal representation, which he identified as one of the policies he finds unacceptable in the current government.