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Opposition Leader Skelton pulls out of joint press conference with Premier Wheatley

In a surprise move, Opposition Leader Ronnie W. Skelton (AL) has pulled out of today's press conference by Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley (R7). Photo: GIS/File
Premier Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley (R7), right. There was an informal emergency meeting of the House of Assembly (HoA) on Friday, January 5, 2024, after Governor John J. Rankin's, left, bombshell announcement seeking to recolonise the Virgin Islands and take away its democratic rights. Photo: Facebook
Premier Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley (R7), right. There was an informal emergency meeting of the House of Assembly (HoA) on Friday, January 5, 2024, after Governor John J. Rankin's, left, bombshell announcement seeking to recolonise the Virgin Islands and take away its democratic rights. Photo: Facebook
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI- There was an informal emergency meeting of the House of Assembly (HoA) on Friday, January 5, 2024, after Governor John J. Rankin's bombshell announcement seeking to recolonise the Virgin Islands and take away its democratic rights.

The Governor noted that he was not satisfied with the pace of the one man-Commission of Inquiry (CoI) recommendations being achieved by the Government and demanded more powers so he could be in full control of the Territory.

Following an informal HoA meeting on Friday, January 5, 2024, elected members agreed that both the Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) and Leader of the Opposition Hon Ronnie W. Skelton (AL) will hold a joint press conference schedule for today Monday 8, January 2024, to speak with one voice on the Governor’s recolonisation attempts.

However, late last evening, Hon Skelton pulled out and announced that he and the entire three-party Opposition will hold its own press conference. He claimed he did not want the Opposition to get distracted by the Government not completing its goal of fulfilling the CoI recommendations.

Divide and conquer?

While it’s our understanding that the Opposition was divided over the issue of the joint press conference, some had supported the move. It remains unclear the real reasons why Hon Skelton pulled out but many called our newsroom saying the situation is no surprise as the “UK having the people just where they wanted them, divided.”

Governor Rankin himself has not achieved many of the recommendations he is responsible for in the CoI report and it remains unclear who will hold him accountable for his failures.

36 Responses to “Opposition Leader Skelton pulls out of joint press conference with Premier Wheatley”

  • look good (08/01/2024, 08:17) Like (2) Dislike (8) Reply
    Both the Governor and the priemier need to come out and the poeople the truth...stop hiding things from the public...The priemier forget its we the people put him in..i leave it at that//
    • @look good (08/01/2024, 08:58) Like (32) Dislike (12) Reply
      We put him in? I did not vote for him to be in office nor to be the Premier... that was the 7th District and the VIP Party members.
  • Migoman (08/01/2024, 08:27) Like (30) Dislike (7) Reply
    An accomplished business man like the honorable skelton having to stand up next to a man like wheatley who dont know his back from his front
    • @Migoman (08/01/2024, 15:59) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
      Brains above speech
    • To Migoman (08/01/2024, 19:30) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
      Accomplished business man you say? Don't get me started. Some people robbed the BVI in its early stages and now knows to some as accomplished? Oh please.
  • Me (08/01/2024, 08:41) Like (12) Dislike (10) Reply
    Let this boi dance to his own music.Only now he crying fowl.Lame duck
    • You all are hypocrites (08/01/2024, 19:29) Like (3) Dislike (1) Reply
      The Governor admitted he is also behind with certain COI recommendations being implemented with the subjects he is responsible for. So how come in a modern partnership the BVi cannot take away some of his powers under him for his failure to hit the deadlines he help set? The Governor and UK are a set of hypocrites.
  • 2024 (08/01/2024, 08:52) Like (18) Dislike (22) Reply
    it is the NDP who set this territory on the slippery slope when the governor came here they refused to swear him in as was done traditionally

    All now the pilot cant find Beef Island(7!million)
    8 million for sewage: The million dollar wall: pier parks millions on over run:

    The people elected 13 of them a few days ago and now they can not work together for the good benefit of our people(looking to score political points

    maybe be to late for this territory to score points with the UK from the political leadership perspective because they think our people are incompetent to oversee Her British Overseas Territory!!!!!

    will always say the current opposition had the golden opportunity to lead the this place and was incompetent and loose that opportunity(the 3 of them wanted to be the premier)


  • HERE WE GO AGAIN (08/01/2024, 08:53) Like (40) Dislike (2) Reply
    THE COI WAS BEGGED FOR BY ONE OF US AND IT WAS GRANTED AND WE WANT TO SWEEP WHAT WAS DISCOVERED UNDER THE RUG / BUT THE GOVERNOR ISN'T HAVING NONE OF THAT SH*T AND ALL KIINDS OF WANNABES WANT TO BLAME THE GOVERNOR FOR WHAT WE COMMITTED ON OUR OWN PEOPLE , ( WHERE IS THE INTEGRITY ? ) WHO IS GOIN GOING TO MAN UP AND DO WHAT IS RIGHT FOR THE COUNTRY AND ITS PEOPLE USING INTEGRITY AS A FOUNDATION / ALL WE SEEING IS A RAT RACE AMONGST OURSELVES FOR THAT ALMIGHTY ( P O W E R ) LORD HELP US . WHAT A SET OF HYPOCRITES
  • (08/01/2024, 09:01) Like (23) Dislike (14) Reply
    Skeleton is a sell out
    • @... (08/01/2024, 10:27) Like (8) Dislike (9) Reply
      Exactly. Either he cannot be trusted or he playing tricks on slowand3. Either way, it not looking too bright. I wonder if Lorna had anything to do with It. Ronnie, stay in your corner. Slowand3 cannot be blamed. He has been a consistently poor leader from day 1, no surprises there. Lorna is who cause a frig and she is who need to fix it. If she don't, I vote for the governor taking over. Behaving like Neanderthals.
    • NOPE!!!!!!!!! (08/01/2024, 14:34) Like (8) Dislike (2) Reply
      Not a sell out. DAMN smart. Who the hell goes on a sinking ship?!?!?! The Premier thinks he is the smartest person in the room. So did Andrew. Look where it got him.

      The governor has been sending warning shots EVERY SINGLE TIME he gave us an update. Cleary he was being ignored.

      Now the governor has pulled a trump card the Premier bawling.. The governor give you one sliver of daylight. Please take it and go do your homework if you are so worried about the governor's additional powers he seeks.
  • UK Own (08/01/2024, 09:04) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
    WHO TO BLAME?
  • london (08/01/2024, 09:05) Like (24) Dislike (4) Reply
    The BVI has gone back 10 steps with that Priemer
    • :) (08/01/2024, 15:07) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
      YOU LIE!!!!!! ALL THEY TRYING TO DO IS FIX ALL WHAT WASNT DONE AND WAS DONE OF BEFORE GOVERNMENT!!!!
      THE PIER PARK MONEY
      THE EAST END ROAD MONEY
      THE PLANE MONEY
      THE SWEWAGE MONEY
      THE INCINERATOR MONEY
      THE WATER & SEWAGE MONEY
      THE HEALTH MONEY
      THE INCREMENTS YEARS BACK
      NOW THEY ADD TO PEOPLE'S PAY YOU ALL STILL BLAMEING THEM BECAUSE OF THE STRAIN THAT IS THERE NOW
      IT WASN'T THEM, ACCORDING TO SHAGY!!!!
      & THE LIST CAN GO ON & ON
  • FACIAL EXPRESSION (08/01/2024, 09:16) Like (6) Dislike (1) Reply
    is saying )> GOVERNOR ) all you are doing is going all over yhe world and not fulfilling what you promised / PREMIER ) but it wasn't me who committed those honest
    mistskes that the COI found , I just had a little free -jam and do a little traveling here & there for to get my head together
  • GateKeeper (08/01/2024, 09:36) Like (6) Dislike (3) Reply

    The people and elected members are complicit in and provides the energy and fuel in setting the environment for the Governor’s omnipotence, autocratic tendencies, etc. Disunity, divide and rule, divide and scatter,,appeasement, etc is the recipe for the Governor’s egregious behavior, attitude and action. In this grave hour, Virgin Islanders , both elected and non-elected, should be coming together to work cooperatively, collectively and collaboratively, not divide and scatter. The Governor is weaponizing national disunity against the VI and its people. The Opposition is poorly led and has a problem with trust, commitment, organizing, planning, etc. The behavior of the Opposition is a tailor made action for Governor and the rest of the cabal forge fullspeed ahead. Clearly, the Opposition lacks the understanding and importance and effectiveness of unity, collect group effort, etc. Numeric/numbers leads power or power follows numbers. The Opposition is a gross disappointment and colossal failure. The Government is ‘green’ and lacks the leadership juice to get people motivated behind issues of national interest. The VI is @#$&%ed!

    • Manjack (08/01/2024, 12:58) Like (2) Dislike (1) Reply
      If political leaders,along with the people, the electorate,,cannot come together on such a serious and monumental issue, ie, democracy, liberty, freedom,etc., in the 21st Century, when and what will they ever come together on ? Nothing and never. Do or die, is a cliche innsportd. What is needed now , ie, unity, group effort, coming other, etc is its equivalent in political. Slaves and their descendants have been conditioned on divide and rule, divide and scatter. The slavemasters, Colonialists and now current day leaders are weaponizing the divide and rule condition to control marginalized people, keeping them weak and vulnerable, creating falsely in their minds that they working in their best interest. We bought into the lie. Too many of us are still buying into the lie even after centuries of subjugation, exploitation, expropriation, denial of democracy, self determination, etc. Virgin Islanders lack of engagement , silence, , complicity, appeasement,etc., have emboldened the Colonialists to grab more power.
    • Socrates (08/01/2024, 19:54) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
      Let’s jump right into the ???:
      1. Does the UK- appointed Governor have unilateral power, ie, retained power, reserve power, assent power, etc? Can devolved powers, ie, Independence, etc., be easily reversed?
      2. Does the UK- appointed Governor have control of all security functions, ie, internal security, including, RVIPF, HMP, etc?
      3. Is the local government at a severe disadvantage in having an entity to report concerns to and get a fair , honest l, equitable review to get concerns redress?
      4. Is there any daylight between the Governor’s Office, and Foreign , Commonwealth and Development Office?
      5. Is the divide and rule, divide and scatter conditioning, engineered by Willie Lynch still effective in the Virgin Islands ?
      6. Is it a common practice with colonialism to split a country into sectors, choosing on sector to help who will then be beholden to it?
      7. Is colonialism about power, control, influence, exclusion, racial superiority, special privilege, entitlements?
      8.. Is meritorious manumission still used effectively in the Virgin Islands?
      9. Is change needed in the Virgin Islands? Are Virgin Islanders trying to use appeasement to effect change? Can change be attained through appeasement?
      10. Will the continued disunity among Virgin Islanders derail any change?
      11. Is Governor Rankin having loss of power withdrawal symptoms with his impending retirement ?
      12. Did former controversial Governor Gus Jaspert left the Gary Hickinbottom CoI as a deliberate parting gift to incoming Governor John Rankin? Is John Rankin doing the same for incoming Governor Daniel Pruce with the bombshell power grab? Does either the Crown or Parliament give a rat’s @$$ about what is happening in the VI and other OTs?
      13. Has the UK drop some 7 levels on the corruption radar? Is the Uk leading by example in regards to corruption?
      14. Will Governor Rankin power grab diminish democracy, freedom, liberty, basic human rights, etc?
      15. Should the VI hold a referendum on self-determination, ie., integration, free association, independence?
      16. Is it in the best interest of Virgin Islanders to stay silent while watching their rights, freedoms, democracy, human rights, etc, diminished?
      17.Should Virgin Islanders follow the example of Dolph Faulkner and the 1500 Great March of 24 November, Noel Lloyd and PAM and agitate, advocate and protest for lasting change?
      • Frig….. (08/01/2024, 22:10) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
        To Socrates, you are a damn useful frig….with the probing questions. BZ my friend. The Frig……out.
  • what unity? (08/01/2024, 09:55) Like (10) Dislike (0) Reply
    There was a so-called unity government and look how it went. Those guys were at one another throat. B.v.I cannot unite for a glass of water to save them life. Set of incompetent and dunce moo moo
  • Disinterested (08/01/2024, 10:07) Like (4) Dislike (6) Reply
    Ronnie is good at running the family business but is a flop in running the public sector. His performance in government with the NDP speaks for itself. Government and Opposition typically have different views on how to deliver for the people, ie, public health, education, physical infrastructure, economic security, national security, public assistance, etc. These and other issues are bruisingly debated but not into paralysis. There must be compromise on both sides. Nevertheless, there are some issues, ie, freedom, democracy , blessings of liberty, etc, on which the whole territory must hold hands putting aside political difference and resistively, aggressively fight for. The Governor brazen push for more power is an issue that Virgin Islanders should come together in unison and one voice on. However, both the leader of government and opposition seemed to lack the power to galvanize the people against. This failure is monumental and is emblematic of the current political situation. Virgin Islanders must come together and fight like hell against power grab and omnipotence as he leave the territory. He is setting up and giving incoming Governor a parting gift, so, he can say like Shaggy, “ it wassing me.”


  • Native Senior Citizen of the British Virgin Islands (08/01/2024, 11:18) Like (1) Dislike (3) Reply
    This truth must be first understood by all concern and all without concerned citizens, visitors and friends of the BVI random political handling of the CoI recommendations implementation fulfillments, infrastructural lacks constrtutional, social, spiritual, educational, economical, political, philosophical, medical, insurficienly managing strategic planning and proper execution by political means, and of course, other challenging and troubling issues on hand, at this time, The BVI is the cross road point of history.
    Many and I don't want the UK to dictate to us, and should never agree, but neither did we voted for our local political leaders to do the same, and should never agree. But how would we be able to correct others when we ourselves need correction? The first to looked is to look within or better said examine our thoughts, word and actions towards others.
    However, I do hope that the UK leaders will not dare overstep authority and cause turbulent matters to become more turbulent as are
  • Rattler (08/01/2024, 11:21) Like (3) Dislike (3) Reply
    The Omnipotence, political match was lit and a 3:00 a.m. fire is raging but Virgin Islanders are sound asleep and the raging anti democratic, freedom and liberty stifling fire is jumping every fire brake. It is not time to hit the snooze button; it is time to leap out of bed and donned the political battle gear to resist Governor John Rank, CMG, bold and unabashed power grab. It is a grave and solemn hour and Virgin Islanders must unite to resist the power grab. Virgin Islanders created the Perils for the fire to be easily set by the Guv. Now they must extinguish the fire by finding the Unity.

    Commissioner John Augustus Cockburn Cruikshank abuse of his power set a 3.00 am fire which some the Great March of November 1949 with some 1500 protesters had to doused. The Wickham Cay and 4/5 of Anegada 1968 fiasco was a 3:00 am fire that Noel Lloyd had to extinguish. Who are the leaders, movement who are going resist and doused this current fire???
    • Rattler (08/01/2024, 11:49) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
      Inadvertently, left out Positive Action Movement warriors. Should have read Lloyd and Positive Action Movement….
  • Yep (08/01/2024, 11:34) Like (8) Dislike (1) Reply
    "There was an informal emergency meeting of the House of Assembly (HoA) on Friday, January 5, 2024, after Governor John J. Rankin's bombshell announcement seeking to recolonise the Virgin Islands and take away its democratic rights."

    This website is poisonous.
  • Native Senior Citizen of the British Virgin Islands (08/01/2024, 11:40) Like (0) Dislike (2) Reply
    It may seems to many that the the opposition and the ruling government Team leaders can come together and solve the man issues that challenge the very core of this Overseas Territory under the UK's rule, namely: British Virgin Islands. The system of democracy was meant for for honest representation of the rights of all the people, but was, and currently not being practice, neither here or there.
    Like the Honourable Ronnie Skeleton said, the opposition has their own ideas in reference to the Topic Issue on hand, full implementations of the 49 CoI recommendations, same does the the government 's ruling Team and the UK that is being represent by Governor John Rankins.
  • bvi (08/01/2024, 11:54) Like (8) Dislike (3) Reply
    The majority of the bvi voted them back in , so let the bvi suffer . How stupid can you be to vote the very same people back in that helped bring on COI . Does that make sense
  • herbs power (08/01/2024, 12:09) Like (6) Dislike (3) Reply
    Ronnie is one old minded sellout. Not even for a situation this serious he can unite. Change the opposition leader, which should have been Myron.
    • How???? (08/01/2024, 14:36) Like (7) Dislike (1) Reply
      Serious you say. Clearly the Premier not taking it serious. But, coming from a man who would not even turn in his grades at the college and people had to be hunting him down so he would turn them in, why does it surprise you that he can't get the country run?
  • Q&A (08/01/2024, 13:02) Like (7) Dislike (1) Reply
    What is Ronnie scared of? Is he afraid he will make a fool of himself during Q&A, giving nonsensical and incoherent answers?


  • Rhythm up.. (08/01/2024, 14:33) Like (5) Dislike (4) Reply
    Wise move Ronnie. This Premier seems to be like using people for his and at his own convenience to achieve his agenda..
  • …. (08/01/2024, 15:45) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    WHO CARES!!!!!!! MAN CHILD BYE!
  • Forbidden Truth (09/01/2024, 07:39) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Disunity is playing in the UK hands colonials.
  • clown (09/01/2024, 07:48) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    He dam right to pull out he have time for the slow oneday primeir


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