Dismissed Deputy Premier Lorna Smith Notified of Removal via Letter from Premier

Dismissed Deputy Premier Lorna Smith OBE stated that she was notified of her removal from the government via a letter on Tuesday morning, October 23, from Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley.

In a statement to the media regarding her upcoming press conference, she said, “At approximately 8:00 a.m. this morning, I received a letter from the Hon Premier stating he requested that His

Excellency the Governor revoke my appointment as Deputy Premier and Minister of Financial Services, Labour and Trade.”

In a virtual statement on Tuesday morning, the Premier thanked Smith for her service, adding, “I do so with a heavy heart. She did not give me the confidence that she would remain with my administration for the duration of this term.”

Former Virgin Islands Party (VIP) member and Third District representative Julian Fraser has now taken on the role of Deputy Premier. Fraser remains the chairman of the Progressives United party but has aligned himself with the Virgin Islands Party, where he was a longtime member.

Governor David Pruce signed the instruments of appointment on Tuesday, and Fraser was officially sworn in.

The Premier emphasised that “this is a necessary change to the composition of the government that provides my administration with political stability and a wealth of knowledge and experience which will serve us well over the course of the remainder of this House of Assembly. Political stability is critical at this time to ensure we finalise the completion of governance reforms and effectively address the recommendations of the mutual evaluation report.”

Smith, who won the Territorial-At-Large vote for the National Democratic Party (NDP) in the April 2023 general elections, had previously switched her allegiance to assist the ruling VIP in forming a government. She also held the portfolio for Financial Services, Labour, and Trade.

Having resigned from the NDP, the former first lady is now an independent opposition member.