Politics
Claude Skelton-Cline no longer supports the VIP: Premier

From left: Claude Skelton-Cline and Premier Natalio Wheatley
By MERRICK ANDREWS, Online News Editor
(JTV NEWS) — Premier and Chairman of the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) Natalio Wheatley said talk show host and pastor Claude Skelton-Cline appears to no longer support the VIP.
Wheatley, who is also Minister for Finance, made the remarks during Tuesday’s sitting in the House of Assembly.
At the time, he was making statements in response to a damning report from the Auditor General’s Office on the three contracts granted to Claude Skelton-Cline, who was collecting just over $16,000 monthly for them.
Audits have revealed that the contracts did not go through a tender process, were not a value-added move, and appeared to have been employment for the contractor.
During his contribution in the House, Premier Wheatley not only admitted that the contracts given to Skelton-Cline were a mistake but said Skelton-Cline may no longer be his friend, or of the VIP, because of what he has to say.
“And let’s speak about the fact that Mr. Claude Cline has been associated with political parties including the Virgin Islands Party of which I am the chairman. I don’t think he supports the Virgin Islands Party anymore which has been his pattern — if I might say that,” Wheatley said.
“He’s been jumping left, he’s been jumping right. Claude Skelton-Cline says he believes a woman will be elected as the next Premier. Now I am a fan of a woman Premier, of course. But I believe his biggest motivation for saying that a woman will be elected is because I am a man. And it’s become very clear that Claude Skelton-Cline does not support me in my political endeavours and he doesn’t support the Virgin Islands Party which I lead.
“And I will just give you my theory as to why that is. And Mr. Skelton-Cline, first he was talking about a woman then he start talking about his uncle, Ronnie. And Madam Speaker, I wonder if the public understands what’s taking place. First, he started with the Virgin Islands Party then he went to the National Democratic Party, then he went back to the Virgin Islands Party, and the current leader of the Virgin Islands Party doesn’t seem like I am going to be able to get through with him. Seems like the gravy train might be over there. Let’s jump on to the next host,” Premier Wheatley added.
Cline emailed a two-page proposal to the Premier’s Office offering his services as Chief Strategic Advisor “to assist the office of the Premier throughout the strategic planning and execution of key initiatives”.
The proposal outlined three specific areas of focus, as stated in the report, Climate Change, 1000 Jobs in 1000 Days, and Youth Empowerment. The proposal also presented a list of duties and responsibilities for the Chief Strategic Advisor.
The document included a proposed contractual period of four years at $196,000 per annum ($16,330.00 monthly) — a remuneration that would place the consultant’s pay above that of Cabinet Ministers and the Premier.
The report tells us that both the proposal and the draft agreement submitted by Skelton-Cline placed the consultant in an “advisory” role with no obligation or commitment to produce results and no requirement to demonstrate improvements or added value to the Public Service.
Two and a half weeks after submitting the proposals, Skelton-Cline was engaged by the Premier’s Office as a “strategic advisor” via petty contract and stipulated a term of six months from March 25, 2019, and remuneration of $16,330.00 per month with five-percent end-of-contract gratuity.
The Premier told the House that Skelton-Cline did not produce as expected.
“He was paid exorbitantly for those contracts and his contribution to the success of the initiatives that he was tasked to complete was marginal at best,” Wheatley said.
However, he said while the Auditor General’s Report on the Claude Skelton-Cline contracts is “pretty straightforward” others are questionable.
“…. Yes, this contract that we speak about, these contracts for Claude Skelton-Cline did come to Cabinet, and I did support them, and I am here to say to you, Madam Speaker, that I believe that I believe my support for these contracts was a mistake, and I believe that the former Premier made a mistake in engaging Claude Skelton-Cline with these contracts.
“This audit [Skelton-Cline contracts] is pretty straightforward. I’ll have to say we have some other audits coming where the Auditor General comes to some conclusions that I disagree with, and that’s ok because the Auditor General herself is a human being, and as a human being her conclusions are not infallible,” Premier Wheatley said.
Local News
Myron Walwyn Sworn in as Leader of the Opposition in the British Virgin Islands

Sixth District Representative Honourable Myron V. Walwyn has officially been sworn in as Leader of His Majesty’s Loyal Opposition by Governor Daniel Pruce. The ceremony, which took place ahead of the House of Assembly (HoA) sitting on Monday, March 24, marks a significant shift in the political landscape of the British Virgin Islands.
Walwyn’s appointment follows a formal request submitted to the Governor on Friday, March 21, by members of the recently formed opposition faction known as “The Alliance.” The letter, signed by Walwyn, Second District Representative Honourable Melvin M. Turnbull, and Honourable Stacy R. Mather, called for Walwyn to replace Honourable Ronnie W. Skelton as Opposition Leader. The Governor accepted the request in accordance with Section 70(5) of the British Virgin Islands Constitution, which allows opposition members to determine their leader by majority vote.
With The Alliance holding a majority within the Opposition, surpassing Skelton of the Progressive Virgin Islands Movement (PVIM) and Eighth District Representative Honourable Marlon A. Penn of the National Democratic Party (NDP), the transition was all but assured. This realignment comes in the wake of internal disagreements within PVIM, particularly over a recent attempt by Skelton and Penn to dissolve PVIM and integrate its members into the NDP. That effort led to a rift within the Opposition, prompting Mather and Turnbull to shift their support away from Skelton.
The political maneuvering has raised speculation about potential challenges from Skelton or Penn in response to the change in leadership. However, for now, Walwyn assumes his role as Opposition Leader, with the responsibility of unifying the bloc amid ongoing internal divisions.
Meanwhile, the ruling Virgin Islands Party (VIP), led by Premier and Minister of Finance Dr. Natalio D. Wheatley, continues to maintain its eight-seat majority in the HoA. With the Opposition now under new leadership, political analysts will be watching closely to see how Walwyn steers his faction in the months ahead.
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Local News
`Alliance’ Moves to Unseat Skelton as Opposition Leader Ahead of HoA Sitting

Yet another political shift about to take effect in the British Virgin Islands as the recently formed “Alliance” has made moves to have Sixth District representative Honourable Myron V. Walwyn unseat and replace Honourable Ronnie W. Skelton as Leader of the Opposition, just days before the House of Assembly (HoA) convenes on Monday, March 24.
On Friday, March 21, Alliance members Walwyn, Second District Representative Melvin M. Turnbull and Stacy R. Mather, submitted a letter to Governor Daniel Pruce requesting Walwyn’s appointment as Opposition Leader. It is our information that the Governor has accepted the request in accordance with Section 70 subsection 5 of the British Virgin Islands Constitution, which permits opposition members to elect their leader by majority vote.

Hon. Stacy R. Mather,
The Alliance, holds a majority within the Opposition, surpassing the two remaining members—Skelton of the Progressive Virgin Islands Movement (PVIM) and Eighth District Representative Marlon A. Penn (R8) of the National Democratic Party (NDP). With this shift in alignment, Walwyn is expected to be sworn in as the new Opposition Leader during Monday’s HoA sitting, alongside the appointment of a new Deputy Speaker.
The leadership change follows recent attempts by Skelton and Penn to dissolve PVIM and integrate its members into the NDP. This move has deepened divisions within the Opposition, with Skelton losing the support of Mather and Turnbull, who were previously aligned with him under PVIM.
The development raises key questions: will Skelton and or Penn seek to challenge move of unseating Skelton?
The ruling Virgin Islands Party (VIP), led by Premier and Minister of Finance Dr. Natalio D. Wheatley, currently holds a solid eight-seat majority in the HoA. The new opposition bloc, now to be under Walwyn’s leadership, will need to address internal divisions and work to redefine its role in the territory’s governance.
The developments will be closely monitored when the HoA sits on Monday, as Walwyn is likely to assumes his new role amid a rapidly changing political landscape.

Hon. Melvin ‘Mitch’ Turnbull
Local News
BVI Premier Seeks Constitutional Amendment to Establish Minister of State Position

Premier Hon. Natalio D. Wheatley has announced plans to pursue a constitutional amendment to formalise the appointment of a Minister of State, a position currently not recognised under the British Virgin Islands’ constitutional framework. The revelation came during an interview on The Big Story with JTV’s Cathy Richards on March 11, where the Premier addressed recent shifts within his administration, including the return of Hon. Lorna G. Smith to government and the reassignment of Hon. Karl Dawson.
The changes, announced earlier in the day, saw Dawson’s removal as Junior Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries, while Smith was designated as Minister of State. However, Wheatley acknowledged that the position does not yet legally exist, requiring approval from the United Kingdom to be formally established.
“In the Westminster system, there are different types of junior ministers, including Ministers of State and Parliamentary Under-Secretaries,” Wheatley explained. “While our current constitution allows for junior ministers, we would need an amendment to introduce the Minister of State designation.”
The Premier confirmed that he has informally raised the matter with the Governor and intends to discuss it further in an upcoming meeting with UK Minister for Overseas Territories, Steven Doughty. If successful, the amendment would provide the BVI government with additional flexibility in ministerial appointments.
Wheatley defended his decision to publicly designate Smith as Minister of State ahead of securing the constitutional amendment, stating that she was passionate about the role, particularly in relation to financial services—one of the territory’s key economic sectors. He emphasised that the move signals his administration’s commitment to expanding the governance framework to better reflect the needs of the territory.
“My point in communicating it is to let persons know that this is something we want to get done as quickly as possible,” he said.
While Smith is not a member of Cabinet, the Premier noted that she will be invited to Cabinet meetings as needed to discuss matters related to her portfolio. Under the current system, only five ministers can be full Cabinet members. Any expansion would require additional constitutional reforms, including a potential increase in the number of elected officials in the House of Assembly.
Should the UK approve the amendment, Smith’s position would become official, leaving a junior ministerial post open. Wheatley also indicated that his government may request an increase in the number of junior ministerial positions beyond the current limit of two.
“We would be asking for the ability to have different levels of junior ministers, and I believe it would be prudent for us to request more than just two,” he said.
As negotiations with the UK progress, the government’s ability to restructure its ministerial framework remains uncertain. However, Wheatley remains optimistic that changes can be implemented in a timely manner.
“We will see how quickly we can get it done,” he said, underscoring his administration’s push for constitutional reform.
The proposed changes come at a time when the BVI is preparing for broader constitutional negotiations with the UK. The discussions will not only address the Minister of State position but could also lead to wider governance reforms.
For now, Smith will continue to serve in one of the two existing junior ministerial roles until a formal decision is made.
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