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

UK needs to be held 'accountable' in this partnership too!- Skelton-Cline

Host of the Honestly Speaking radio programme Mr Claude O. Skelton Cline has bemoaned the fact that the United Kingdom (UK) arm of Governance is not being held to account in the Virgin Islands (VI). Photo: VINO/File
The Public Service, Her Majesty's Prison and Royal Virgin Islands Police Force is the responsibility of the Governor's Office, which represents the United Kingdom. Photo: VINO/File
The Public Service, Her Majesty's Prison and Royal Virgin Islands Police Force is the responsibility of the Governor's Office, which represents the United Kingdom. Photo: VINO/File
BAUGHERS BAY, Tortola, VI- Host of the Honestly Speaking radio programme Mr Claude O. Skelton Cline has bemoaned the fact that the United Kingdom (UK) arm of Governance is not being held to account in the Virgin Islands (VI).

He said during his show on ZBVI 780 AM on March 1, 2022, that despite the Constitution having reserved power for the unelected arm of Government, “Especially locals, we only hold the elected part of Government accountable, we do not hold the unelected and selected part of the Government accountable or to the same level of accountability.”

Skelton Cline said, both the elected and the unelected part of Government has to function properly in other to bring out the symbiotic relationship and the kind of synergies that are necessary for progress in a country.

“The unelected Government is the Public Service and it is headed by the Governor and the Deputy Governor who are selected persons. The Premier, Cabinet and other ministers and backbenchers and Opposition, those are the elected Government. How is it that we often want to hold the elected Government accountable when the other side of the equation goes unscathed?” he questioned.

Locals run things well

The Host of the Honestly Speaking Programme then pointed out that locals run things well.

“Everything that is run by locals in this country runs exceptionally well,” he said pointing to the financial services, register of companies, Social Security and the like.

He continued: “You know what doesn’t run well? Our elected form of Government that is dependent on a public service that is run by the Governor and the Deputy Governor, that’s what doesn’t run well.”

He; however, made it clear that he was not blaming “individual public servants” while pointing to the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force, Her Majesty’s Prison and the rest of the public service.

“You know what side of the coin these things are under? They are under the unelected and selected part of the Government partnership that we have with the United Kingdom,” he added.

2 Responses to “UK needs to be held 'accountable' in this partnership too!- Skelton-Cline”



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.