Got TIPS or BREAKING NEWS? Please call 1-284-442-8000 direct/can also WhatsApp same number or Email ALL news to:newsvino@outlook.com;                               ads call 1-284-440-6666

'Give Jack he jacket'-Premier to political candidates discrediting work of VIP

Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley has taken shots at candidates competing in the upcoming elections, urging them to 'give Jack he jacket' and acknowledge the achievements of the Virgin Islands Party (VIP). Photo: Facebook
Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) addresses the crowd in Virgin Gorda on March 25, 2023. Photo: Facebook
Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) addresses the crowd in Virgin Gorda on March 25, 2023. Photo: Facebook
VALLEY, Virgin Gorda, VI- Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) has taken shots at candidates competing in the upcoming elections, urging them to “give Jack he jacket” and acknowledge the achievements of the Virgin Islands Party (VIP).

“Just because the VIP did it doesn’t mean that you can’t say it was good,” Dr Wheatley noted during his presentation at the Party’s official campaign launch in the Ninth District of Virgin Gorda on March 25, 2023.

He noted that the VIP has a strong legacy in Anegada and Virgin Gorda and members are always active among the people, whether in the bar or in the church the next morning,

“Now some of those people from the other teams suddenly come down from their ivory tower and now they hailing you…but you check their track record and see whether they does be 'round you. They don’t be ‘round you, but you see when campaign time swing around, dem find themself up under your arm,” Dr Wheatley said.

He added that character and competence are major qualities within the VIP, as he stressed that competitors act as though you’re not smart if you are VIP.

NDP has 'lack of compassion- Premier

Dr Wheatley boasted however that VIP members have led successful businesses and departments.

“I was a bit disappointed, listening to the red team last night, and it was said, in Virgin Gorda, that the reputation of the BVI was pristine between 2011 and 2019…What about before 2011? What about all the work put in by our elder statesmen?... The reputation did not just get the way it was in 2011 and between 2019, and though we’ve had a tough stretch for the past 4 years Virgin Gorda is still number 1 and the BVI is still a beautiful place to live and to visit and to do business”, he noted.

“You could have all the competence in the world… but if you don’t have compassion…then when you get in there, you will ignore the pleas of the people. And a lack of compassion is the reason why we in crisis, the team who was there before us, they let all the food spoil on the festival ground…Honourable Malone, when he got into government, they had assistance for people who went through the storms…the other team before put a bunch of red tape. They got the right colour for that team... And give people a bunch of loans they couldn’t qualify for…we had to come to office and get rid of all of that red tape and nonsense and provide people with grants…”, Dr Wheatley said.

Hypocrisy

He also addressed talks about money being squandered.

“Some of them who talking about all the money was squandering were a part of giving away the 7.2 million dollars, and the one on their team from Virgin Gorda had the gall to say, ‘Oh BVI airways our heart was in the right place,’’, Dr Wheatley said.

In what appeared to be a shot at the Progressive Virgin Islands Movement (PVIM), Dr Wheatley said the blue team has no record of accomplishment in Virgin Gorda.

He continued that identifying the problems are easy but solving them is difficult, noting that some candidates are giving solutions that are already in progress.

14 Responses to “'Give Jack he jacket'-Premier to political candidates discrediting work of VIP”

  • Youth (27/03/2023, 10:10) Like (18) Dislike (12) Reply
    Well said Premier.
  • Putting things in perspective (27/03/2023, 10:12) Like (20) Dislike (16) Reply
    The country went through the roughest four years of its existence. The VIP had to deal with Irma damages that were not fixed by NDP and had to deal with covid which was the worse pandemic in the last 100yrs, and they did well. They were not perfect, but they did well especially when you compare them to other governments including the UK. Remember the UK told the BVI they are not giving us any grants or funds to help with covid and they further said use our own funds to help ourselves as they have to use what they have to help their UK residents in the UK. The health people in the BVI said if the government do not act swiftly the BVI would have between 3500 to 5000 people with covid and will die and the numbers will continue to increase. The VIP Government was criticized by Fraser and the NDP 1 & NDP 2 for closing down the cruise industry & then the entire country only to see two weeks later the entire world followed the BVI and shut down to try to save lives. If this was not done most of us would not be alive now. As a people we need to remember these facts and give VIP a second term rather than listening to those who sold us out to get power from those who refused to help us but now trying to make us look bad through COI & other actions to save themselves and their face. VIP deserves a second term.
    • @Putting things in perspective (27/03/2023, 12:45) Like (8) Dislike (1) Reply
      Interesting post of which I am nonpolitical but tend to agree with most of your points. Clearly the Governor is abusing his powers and interfering in the elections with his current actions to try to get in people's mind to get the outcome he & his bosses in the UK desire and not what the people desire.
  • 9th District Observer (27/03/2023, 10:17) Like (31) Dislike (14) Reply
    Since VIP took office in 2019 despite the challenges of Covid, they still served us well overall including in the 9th District. In the 9th District we saw...

    - The two Administration Buildings in the Valley repaired from the destruction and damages from Irma & reopened
    - The Administration Building in North Sound was repaired from the destruction & damages from Irma & reopened
    - Revisor in North Sound fixed
    - Lee road repaired and fixed
    - BFEC Secondary School Building repaired from the damages by Irma
    - Administration Building on Anegada repaired
    - Basketball Court & recreation area on Anegada repaired and upgraded
    - Fire Station Building on Anegada repaired
    - Many road paving on Anegada and VG
    - Completed the construction on VG Hospital & had it opened
    - Took care of the district during the many lock downs due to covid

    There is plenty more but I will stop there for now. VIP is not perfect, but they have worked and deserves a second term. In the 9th District Vincent is a full upgrade from who we had four years ago representing us in the 9th District.
  • SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT!!! (27/03/2023, 10:24) Like (11) Dislike (18) Reply
    Is the Governor trying to influence the outcome of the elections by working with some key persons in NDP 1 & NDP 2? More and more people are asking how come the COI, the Governor, the Auditor General and the UK Head of Police in the BVI are ignoring all the questionable conduct of Fraser and the NDP. No mention of the eight-million-dollar plane heist. No mention of the rich eighty folks that got Belongers under the NDP in 2019 fast track programme that did not qualify while the common man who lived in the BVI for years was ignored. No mention of the Sea Cow's Bay harbor project and all the money to their brother and themselves. No mention of the overpriced pier project of one hundred million dollars. No mention of the overpriced eighty-million-dollar new hospital building. No mention of the Georgie Hill Road project that started in the thousands and ended up in the millions with many people land taken and not compensated to date. The list is endless. Something is not right here. Is it they are all working together to try to influence the elections against the VIP to get VIP out of office so they can take over and sell us out for their freedom? SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT!!!
  • Political analyst (27/03/2023, 11:53) Like (7) Dislike (0) Reply
    Something is wrong in the state of VI if Dr Hon Premier Natalio Wheatley(D-7) is expecting challengers and candidates vying for change arecgoing to sing the incumbent government praises when they are campaigning to kick it to curb. No , politics don’t roll that way. Government has to promote and sell its own success/achievements. The opposition is not going to hold hands with government and sing kumbaya. Politics is combative, survival of the fittest with each side campaigning to voters that they are best suited and capable to move the ball forward. Hon Premier don’t waste time hoping that challengers are going to help you get re-elected. They are not going to. Further, politics is a deep down and dirty business. It is not for choir boys or the weak of heat. Combatants are playing hard (cricket ref).

    Here is a bit from the little red electioneering handbook: How to Win an Election—Quintus Tullius Cicero:
    “ Know the weaknesses of your opponents —and exploit them. Winning candidates do their best to distract voters from any positive aspects of their opponents possesses by emphasizing the negative. Rumors of corruption are prime fodder, sexual scandals are even better.” This is one of the pearls from the little book. The bottomline is that government has to campaign on its successes while in office and its intended plans, programmes, etc if it is re-elected. On the other hand, the opposition/challengers will be campaigning against the government record, and promoting their own proposed plans, programmes, projects as better and less costly. So no Premier , the opposition’s job is not to sing your praises or give Jack his jacket as you suggest. A campaign is war with fishing dirt being part of the ammo with the combatants taking no prisoners. The voters will take it all in, process it, debate it, discuss it and decide on Election Day which are a few short days away—April 24.
    • Phrase (27/03/2023, 17:56) Like (0) Dislike (1) Reply
      Is it not something is rotten in the state of Denmark, not VI? Keeping the quote right.
  • VOTER6BVI (27/03/2023, 12:26) Like (28) Dislike (9) Reply
    GIVE JACK HIS JACKET WHAT MORE SOME OF YOU WANT THE VIP TO DO MY GOD THEY HAVE DONE GOOD UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES. GIVE THEM FOUR MORE YEARS AND THEN WE CAN TALK ABOUT THEM. ALL OF YOU WHO TALKING YOU ARE 5HE ONE WANT ENGLAND TO TAKE OVER THE BVI..VOTE VIP ALL THE WAY THEY DESERVE ANOTHER CHANCE.
  • johnny (27/03/2023, 13:05) Like (14) Dislike (3) Reply
    And they also need to finish what they started
  • Tis To Know (27/03/2023, 13:29) Like (4) Dislike (3) Reply
    They can tout accomplishments all they want, but we can only wonder what they are doing next to the cookie jar since being elected, after stating that others before them filled their pockets so they going to do the same.. Did they suddenly had a change of mind and heart? More than likely not... Undoubtly! Thus the low confidence level in those who know of that/those statements. Who know, know. Meanwhile, their accomplishments are acknowldeged, but is there secret coruption and theift? who knows? Should they be reelected? May the populace decide.
  • street reporter. (27/03/2023, 14:20) Like (2) Dislike (11) Reply
    VIP is a mess. However, I still think Kye and Sowande are the two best we have. I would like to see a Unity Government led by Sowande and Kye With all new faces, Davies; Shaina, Zoe, Lou, Mather, George. All the others in opposition..
    • VOTER6BVI (27/03/2023, 18:26) Like (3) Dislike (3) Reply
      YOU CAN SAY WHAT EVER YOU WANT BUT THERE WOULDN'T BE ANY UNITY GOVERNMENT IT WILL BE A VIP GOVERNMENT.
  • @VOTER6BVI (27/03/2023, 20:44) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    He who has no problem with purlion, fraudulence and unscrupulousness will want to drink from the same cup and sleep in the same bed, even live in the same cell. Carry on Johnson.Meanwhile, the counry, its people and ther future remains challenged and stagnated.
  • Quietly Watching (28/03/2023, 14:14) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    I wouldn't say the VIP did nothing. They managed to spend the entire budget dry for 4 years, without the normal man seeing where it was spent, plus funds from a SAP. They also went into the Social Security fund and spent another $40 million from there. So, yes, you did a lot, but for who? Where did you do it? When did you do it, and why did you do it? Everyone were there with their big mouths shut and told us nothing about who, where, when and why? Thank God for morning Braff and the COI. Now they can answer everything and trying to justify everything.
    The VIP didn't let the pandemic stop them or slow them down at al, at all. They just chose to do personal favours and let the majority and the country lanquish. Not to mention making sure they had a big payday. I sat and I wondered why the hell is the Premier giving each of them a three month sting at playing Deputy Premier. Well, I finally figured it out, so that the Greedy Bill numbers could be higher. Wow. Well, the record is there. I was upset that they weren't saying anything, but now, I am praying for at least an hour of silence from that lot.


Create a comment


Create a comment

Disclaimer: Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) welcomes your thoughts, feedback, views, bloggs and opinions. However, by posting a blogg you are agreeing to post comments or bloggs that are relevant to the topic, and that are not defamatory, liable, obscene, racist, abusive, sexist, anti-Semitic, threatening, hateful or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be excluded permanently from making contributions. Please view our declaimer above this article. We thank you in advance for complying with VINO's policy.

Follow Us On

Disclaimer: All comments posted on Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) are the sole views and opinions of the commentators and or bloggers and do not in anyway represent the views and opinions of the Board of Directors, Management and Staff of Virgin Islands News Online and its parent company.