The United Kingdom has decided that an Interim Administration will not be required in the Virgin Islands after reviewing progress on governance reforms, Minister of State for Europe, North America and the Overseas Territories Stephen Doughty said in a Sept. 22, 2025 letter to Premier Dr. Natalio Wheatley.
Doughty wrote that the Foreign Secretary, acting on his advice, had instructed the revocation of a draft Order in Council that would have enabled the UK to take direct control of the territory’s government. He said the process to formally withdraw the order will take several months.
The decision follows assessments by the Governor, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and the Virgin Islands government’s own self-evaluation of its progress in carrying out recommendations from the 2021 Commission of Inquiry. While acknowledging that reforms have advanced more slowly than expected, Doughty said significant legislation has been enacted and that the agreed framework for change has been put into effect.
“To ensure continued transparency,” Doughty wrote, the Governor will publish six-monthly reviews on governance, building on quarterly reports conducted since 2022. He also proposed a joint annual survey to gather the public’s views on reform implementation.
The minister cautioned, however, that concerns remain in key areas, including policing and customs, where a review by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire Rescue Services identified weaknesses. He urged the Virgin Islands government to prioritize funding law enforcement through its annual budget process and said progress in tackling illicit finance and strengthening financial transparency must accelerate.
Doughty added that there is “no change to the UK’s long-standing position” on the constitutional relationship and reaffirmed that the Virgin Islands remain “a valued part of our global British family.”
