Britain to adopt 'new approach' to improve collaboration with OTs
This new approach includes each government department having an assigned Minister responsible for their department’s relationship with the OTs.
In an official statement, the JMC, which met last week, said it welcomed an announcement from the Foreign Secretary of a “new UK Government strategy” on the OTs.
“We look forward to collaborating in its development, setting the direction for a relationship firmly based on the principles of collaboration and mutual interest,” the statement said.
“The OTs further welcome that each government department will have an assigned Minister responsible for their department’s relationship with the Territories.
“These ministers will meet as a group chaired by the Minister for the Overseas Territories.”
'We are family & united by shared values'- UK Foreign Secretary
Foreign Secretary James S. Cleverly said: “This Joint Ministerial Council demonstrates the importance of the partnership between us – we are family and united by shared values. I look forward to working together on the UK's overseas territories strategy, solidifying our relationship on the principles of collaboration and mutual interest.”
While the OTs may be united by shared values, there are some values that are not shared, such as the legalisation of same-sex marriages, which the OTs have been resisting despite pressure from London.
The Virgin Islands was represented at the JMC by Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) and Deputy Premier Hon Lorna G. Smith, OBE (AL).
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26 Responses to “Britain to adopt 'new approach' to improve collaboration with OTs”
This smells like a 'take over.' BVI people 'stay woke.'
1) The Public Service which is under their responsibility & have failed it for the past 40yrs & using the well organized COI to cover up their neglect & failure & trying to put all the blame on elected officials.
2) Block the passing of BVI medicinal Marijuana laws passed in HOA which would have brought in millions of dollars of needed revenue like it is doing in the UK & other countries but instead the UK is directing & dictating the BVI pass same sex marriage which has no financial or social benefits.
3) Not once in the last 50 years have the UK ever made a Caribbean OT person a Governor. This would have showed they were serious in helping OTs mature to the next level. As a matter of fact it is only recently they have attempted to respect women and made one a Governor in 2019 in Bermuda. What hypocrisy. What an insult.
4) The Governor & his UK bosses are always using the new controlling buzz word good governance. Yet they refuse to have the Governor & all Uk public officers serving in the BVI & other OTs to register their interests locally with the register of interest Act in the island where they are serving as all elected & public officers are required to do by law. How do they get to be above the law especially with all the rumors of questionable conduct by some while serving in the OTs.
5) Rightfully insisting transparency in awarding of contracts through the tender process. Yet they neglected to do so when they hired the Commissioner of the COI in BVI. They hand picked that person. They gave him the Terms of Reference written by them to get out what they wanted. They gave him staff from their office. All this and more and then trying to fool us once again the process and outcome were all transparent and done independent of them. What a set up. If an elected official did such the actions would have been called out and condemned.
6) Their pre-determined COI recommendations excluded the neglect of duty by the Governor & his responsibilities but we should expect this as they will not look into themselves.
7) The Governor is now sowing seeds of discord knowing full well most of the recommendations will be difficult or near impossible to implement and the timeframe given to do so is also unrealistic and unreasonable. What another well organized set up.
8) The Governor is over the police and watched numerous senior officers retire in the last 10yrs and had absolutely no succession plan in place to replace them which is by design so they can now take over the force with imported UK Officers. To retire you would have had to work for at least 25yrs so no one's retirement from the Police Force should take anyone by surprise. Another failure of theirs that is being covered up.
9) After Irma they brought in a war ship with thousands of body bags as they thought the BVI people were all dead. They did not give the BVI any significant help. Not a loan. Not grants like they gave to other Caribbean Countires who are not under them as an Overseas Territory. Imagine they gave a loan guarantee in which the conditions of such guarantee dictated who the loan must be received from as well as the UK being in full control of the BVI budget and economy for the life of the loan which was for the next 30 to 40yrs. This was tantamount to direct rule. Probably this is why they called the COI to do what the loan guarantee plot did not achieve.
10) The Governor & his bosses left the BVI to fend for themselves during Covid as they said publicly when the BVI Government requested grants & assistance that the BVI must use their own resources to help the BVI people as the UK has to now do the same for their UK residents. Long after is when they supplied vaccines. Again they thought this would have been the end of the BVI economy and all they would have to do in the end was step in & seen as the saviors. When that did not work they move on to the next plan the COI.
11) While the BVI was suffering & dying from Covid the UK launch a well organized COI on the BVI with predetermined outcomes to try to achieve what all their other efforts failed to do. Yet in the UK where there were increasing allegations of corruption especially in the handling of Covid, they decided it was not in the best interest of the people of the UK to do a COI as it would consume time & resources that is needed to save lives from Covid. What a DOUBLE STANDARD.
12) Let us not forget years ago the UK implemented an At-Large system in the BVI that does not exist anywhere else in this form. They were advised it will not work. However, once again they did it to get out Lavity but as usual the BVI being resilient found how to overcome.
13) They could not cripple the BVI with the At-Large system, nor the conditions of the loan guarantee, nor by not helping with Irma in a meaningful way, nor with Covid. Now the new plan is to use the two Orders in Council for financial services & the country overall through their pre-authored COI recommendations.
I will stop there for now. I am not saying the BVI does not need to improve in many areas but which country doesn't. As a people we are just as educated and experienced as them so we need to stop letting them make us think we are not good people and we are not worthy to lead ourselves. It is time to get out of this abusive relationship. It is time for independence as they will never move in the BVI's best interest although they always will say otherwise or look like they are doing otherwise through their always well calculated actions. The BVI is a resilient people & they cannot understand how they have not conquer the BVI as yet but God is with the BVI through their Prayers to Him. They have the BVI & Caribbean OTs as property and not as people. This will never change.
run chat dat
Bvi is currently under takeover by gangs of motor bikers with guns drugs with close ties with members of local Government.
Only those involved in the drug trade,human trafficking,drugs, guns and Gov thieving want Tola to be Indpendent like Jamaica and the other shiitte holes in the Caribbean.
In addition BVI passport will be only good as toilet paper.