Alliance snubbed at NDP meeting — Skelton Cline
Talk show host Claude Skelton Cline has claimed that members of the Opposition Alliance were excluded from a recent meeting between the National Democratic Party (NDP) and the Progressive Virgin Islands Movement (PVIM), raising concerns about deepening divisions within the political opposition.
“Members of the Alliance were not invited to the meetings, and the members of the Alliance would not have been welcomed to the meeting were they to even show up,” Skelton Cline said on his Honestly Speaking programme.
Earlier this year, Sixth District Representative Myron Walwyn (NDP), Second District Representative Melvin ‘Mitch’ Turnbull (PVIM), and At-Large Representative Stacy Mather (PVIM) announced the formation of an alliance within the opposition, pledging to collaborate in the House of Assembly. The move drew controversy, with party leaders Marlon Penn (NDP) and Ronnie Skelton (PVIM) denying any prior knowledge.
Skelton Cline noted that both the NDP and PVIM have formal disciplinary procedures outlined in their constitutions to address internal party matters and called for a clear and documented resolution.
“If it is that you are not welcoming back the member of the Sixth District, nor the two members of PVIM, then you need to officially catalogue and document that in your records,” he argued. “You should not leave these things up to chance. Not if you are a modern, sophisticated, real party with structure.”
He further claimed that attendees at the recent NDP meeting strongly opposed the return of the Alliance members.
“I also understand that at the National Democratic Party, that it was posited to the group as to whether or not they would welcome any of the members of the alliance back… and it was a resounding no and hand claps of applause and celebration,” he reported.
Skelton Cline warned that a divided opposition would struggle to challenge the ruling Virgin Islands Party (VIP) in the next general election.
“The only threat to the Virgin Islands Party remaining victorious in any general election… is a united National Democratic Party,” he asserted. “In the absence of a united National Democratic Party… the numbers will not bear you out victoriously in any general election as long as you’re divided.”
He added that the current opposition structure risks repeating past electoral failures.
“All the alliance with the NDP is going to be doing again is what you did in 2019, what you did in 2023 — you will be sharing the same set of people,” Skelton Cline said.
He urged political leaders to resolve their internal differences with maturity and transparency.
“There’s no need for that. When you take a position and it’s a principled position, you share with the other person why,” he said.
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I think that the NDP should move on without these 3 musketeers
The real cr**ks are Marlon and Ronnie.
Ronnie mash up the NDP because he did not win the leadership. He run back to NDP because Mitch and Mather lost confidence in his leadership and he was voted out at leader of the opposition.
Marlon was never elected head of NDP. He has been a dismal failure in reforming the NDP. All
He is interested in is being the leader.
I will get out my popcorn to witness the fight between him and Ronnie for leadership. It will be good to watch.
Claude is looking for a new political home to sink his teeth into. He sees a home by uncle Ronnie and uncle John. Claude was supporting the Alliance and speaking highly of them. He even told Marlon publicly that he should join the alliance and that nobody seems him a leader for the BVI.
Fast forward: His uncle got replaced as leader of the opposition and ran back to the same NDP that he split in two because he lost their elections in 2018
Claude is now a big supporter of the NDP and the Alliance are enemies. The same alliance that he was praising before his uncle Ronnie was replaced as opposition leader.
Moral of the story: All these people only care about themselves. They have their own agenda for their benefit.
The Alliance look like they studying the NDP? Ronnie and Marlon are failed party leaders trying to hold on to their positions. If it wasn’t for the Alliance they would have still been there fast asleep. They’re love for power is what wake them up out of their slumber.
These 3 blind mice can’t form a government without Ronnie and Marlon
Can the NDP form a government without them is the real question. If it wasn’t for two of those blind mice Ronnie would not have been elected. Think about that.
I rather those three blind mice than the other two mice with no eyes and no vision.
How these fools see any other result except as we saw in 2019 and 2023 is beyond me. The math remains the same, nothing has changed except the party names and the so-called leaders. America has over 100 million voters and have two main parties. BVI has 12k voters and want 3, 4 and 5 parties. Stupidness could never be sense, another 4yrs of the VIP, like it or not.
What makes you so sure that the people are going to vote for those 2 mice on the other side and what makes you think that the Alliance hasn’t already welcomed compotent individuals who have shown interest to run under their banner? You are talking as if those 2 mice on the other side are the voters only choices. We the people have seen what they are about and have free choice to vote for who we so desire… GET OVER IT WE DON’T WANT NONE OF THEM TO LEAD US!!!
VIP all the way end of the melee
HEY WIGO , WE KNOW THE ALLIANCE HAS GIVEN YOU SOME ENERGY TO BANG OFF FLAPS , SPEWING OUT YOUR USUAL SARCASM WHICH IS NOTHING BUG GARBAGE AS USUAL ( AS LONG AS YOU AINT OUR PREMIER ) SO PLEASE GO AND DUMP YOURSELF AND THE REST OF YOUR GARBAGE AT POCKWOOD POND . OH , DON’T FORGET YOUR WIG ■ STAY ON YOUR YELLO RACIST SITE AND LEAVE US ALONE
Every story you think of doing that mentions Cline, write it, delete it, go to a local school and report on the kids.
Seems to me Hon. Walwyn is not a team player unless on top. The big seat or else. Dr. Smith retires and with Mrs. Smith and lackeys behind him, he tried to oust a founding member of the NDP party and former Minister of Finance to line up behind him. Insanity, doing the same shiggidy over and over again while expecting different results. Now, with merger talks looming, Marlon and Ronnie were both in his way to the big seat, so he pulled the rug from under Skelton. Well, no Skelton is not Jesus, but we were all looking forward to his firm and steady hands on the Financial Wheels of the BVI, something that we’ve needed since 2019. But, anything is possible if you believe, so VIP, NDP, Alliance, anyone can be successful next election. May the voting populace choose experience and stealth and not only youth, desperation and, yes, greed. BVI deserves better than we are getting. We are a country that has been blessed by God, may his hand strike heavily next election as he sees and knows everything. We are praying.