Social Commentator and talk show host Claude O. Skelton-Cline has said the Virgin Islands (VI) currently has one functioning political party, which is the Virgin Islands Party (VIP), which puts the country at a disadvantage. Photo: Facebook

The Virgin Islands Party won the 2023 general election. Photo: Internet Source

Deputy Premier Hon Julian Fraser RA (R3), Junior Minister Hon Lorna G. Smith, OBE (AL) and Hon Stacy R. Mather (AL) all crossed the floor to join the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) government. Photo: GIS/YouTube/File

During Honestly Speaking on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, Skelton-Cline said that while the VIP is the only functioning political party, it is a coalition. 

“They have the Deputy Premier [Hon Julian Fraser RA (R3)], who is from another party. They have the At-Large Junior Minister [Hon Lorna G. Smith, OBE (AL), who is from another party, and recently, they have another backbencher At-Large member [Hon Stacy R. Mather (AL)] from another party who has joined. So the Virgin Islands Party don’t even have a full seven Virgin Islands Party members; they have a coalition.”

He explained that while the VIP has the most members in government, it was “insufficient to have formed the government”, adding the VIP “came up deficient in forming the government on its own”. 

Putting that fact aside, Skelton-Cline reiterated that the VI has one functioning political party. 

'This is not normal'

Skelton-Cline continued that there is also what “used to be” the National Democratic Party and the Progressive Virgin Islands Movement. 

“In the case of the Third District member, in the case of the At-Large member, all of them stood aside, I think around the same time they called the Vote of No Confidence, except for the Junior Minister, she went over earlier.”

He said that within months of the Vote of No Confidence being brought before the House of Assembly, two of the five people who were in opposition joined the VIP government that the opposition brought the Motion of No Confidence against. 

“I’m telling you, this is not normal. We are not fighting flesh and blood here.”

VI is at a 'disadvantage'

The NDP, Skelton-Cline said, has been unable to “get themselves together” since 2019. 

“They ran a half-campaign in 2023 [and] got three members. Here it is now, while the member of the Sixth District remains the Leader of the Opposition, they’re there fumbling around trying to see who should replace him. It can’t even sort that out.”

He said the country is at a “complete disadvantage” when there is only one functional political party. 

“The people do not have a viable option of which to choose. Why? Division, power grab, power hungry.”