'You failed that test' as Leader of the Opposition 'spectacularly'- Hon Walwyn told
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The one-man-led Motion of No Confidence was introduced to the House of Assembly (HoA) by Hon Walwyn during the Continuation of the Seventh Sitting of the Second Session of the Fifth House of Assembly on July 31, 2025.
However, only two Opposition Members were present at the time the motion was being debated: Hon Walwyn and former Opposition Leader Honourable Ronnie W. Skelton (AL). At the time of the vote on the motion, Hon Melvin M. Turnbull (R2) had arrived and only he and Hon Walwayn voted for the motion. Hon Skelton abstained while Hons Marlon A. Penn (R8) and Stacy R. Mather (AL) were absent.
“You have been pushing for this Vote of No Confidence since September, after you took over [as Opposition Leader] in May, and you have been pursuing that. This is the first real test of your leadership, and you failed that test spectacularly, didn’t you?” BVI Beacon’s Business Reporter Shaun Connolly told Hon Walwyn.
With a hard stare, Hon Walwyn then asked the reporter why he said he failed that test spectacularly.
Mr Connolly replied, “Well, should we go for it? It’s difficult to see how it could have actually gone much worse for you,” adding that only Hon Skelton was there and he abstained. “Could it have gone much worse?”
Hon Walwyn makes excuses for absent Opposition members
Hon Walwyn then sought to make excuses for the members' absence for the Vote of No Confidence, saying HoA Members can never really know how long sittings can go on for, and when exactly items on the Order Paper would be dealt with.
The Opposition Leader then rejected the notion that the Vote of No Confidence motion was a failure for the Opposition.
In defending the view that the vote was not a failure, Hon Walwyn said: "A vote of no confidence is not about majority. That's not what it's about. We entered the vote of no confidence fully aware that we would not win."
He added, "That was not the objective. A vote of no confidence serves different purposes. While winning might be the most notable outcome, the key is to articulate the public's concerns because what was written in that Vote of No Confidence reflects exactly what affects every citizen in this country."
He further stated, "In articulating those concerns, sometimes a solo can be just as effective as a choir. I was a solo, and I communicated effectively, voicing the issues that are on the minds of the people. The government heard those concerns, and although they did not engage in a debate, those concerns must weigh heavily on their minds. Therefore, I believe the vote of no confidence was quite successful, as it conveyed the thoughts of the citizens."
Hon Walwyn a one-man show?
Meanwhile, Hon Penn and Hon Skelton, who Honourable Walwyn staged a coup against and wrestled the Leader of the Opposition title from, were not present at the Opposition Press Conference.
This has been interpreted by many as a clear sign that the Opposition remains divided under Hon Walwyn and that, aside from the optics, he may very well be a one-man show.
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31 Responses to “'You failed that test' as Leader of the Opposition 'spectacularly'- Hon Walwyn told”
The motion was never expected to pass. Its purpose was to articulate the concerns of the citizenry, concerns that remain unresolved and unaddressed. Motions of no confidence, even when procedurally doomed, serve vital democratic functions:
• Catalysts for public debate, forcing issues into the national spotlight
• Markers of dissent, especially when formal channels are gridlocked or muted
• Documentation of opposition, preserving a record of resistance for future reckoning
The critique that the motion failed may be politically effective, but it sidesteps the content entirely. If the issues raised such as governance lapses, economic strain, erosion of public trust are valid, then the messenger’s solitude does not invalidate the message.
Motions like these are tools of record not just tactical plays. And when used to document dissent, they carry weight even when numerically defeated.
The Honourable Leader of the Opposition is by no means a failure. He stood, he spoke, and he inscribed the concerns of the people into the parliamentary record. That alone is a success worth defending.
Kudos to Hon. Walwyn. He is not a fool!
He’s the best person to run this country!
Give him a chance and thank me later!
He will put this country where it needs to go !
Myron has politics build in him !
See he won his case ! Give the man a chance!
There’s nothing left to enrich nobody!
Just us and him to move us forward!
Instead: Let us build a nation where we and our grandchildren can prosper.