Stacy Mather crosses floor to join Wheatley government
Territorial At-Large Representative Stacy Mather has crossed the political aisle to become a member of the Dr Natalio Wheatley-led government.
Premier Wheatley made the announcement during a live statement on Monday, December 22, highlighting the first-term legislator’s experience in youth and community development programmes, including the Youth Empowerment Programme (YEP), which he described as the most successful initiative of its kind in the territory’s history.
“Honourable Mather will assist me the RATED programme, initiatives in agriculture and fisheries and the development of community programmes that will empower community based organisations to execute initiatives for the upliftment of the citizens and residents of our community,” Premier Wheatley stated.
Mather, meanwhile, said his decision to cross over to the government was driven by a desire to put residents first and to assist the governing Virgin Islands Party (VIP) administration during what he described as a challenging period for the territory, particularly in areas such as employment and crime.
“An all-hands-on-deck approach is need if we are to effectively address these issues and make tangible gains in the near and medium term,” Mather stated.
“My people, crossing the floor is not a leap from you. It is a step towards you. It is a step to get more done for the people of the Virgin Islands. It is a step to accelerate progress… This is not a move to raise a moment of silence,” he added, while noting that he remains the same person but with greater access.
Mather is the third opposition member to cross the floor, following Deputy Premier Julian Fraser and Junior Minister Lorna Smith.
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Big f** jack***
So what is the score in the HoA now – it was 7-6 when Lorna jumped, but then she left and Fraser joined so it was still 7-6. Is is now 8-5 or have I missed a traitorous move by somebody else?
You need to check the score of the country.
9-2,2
I can’t remmber which side Lorna now plays for – and suspect that she is not sure either. She is a junior minister (the description must really irritate her) so I guess she is back with the VIP – meaning the score could be 9-5
The The Premier has developed some politically Leadership competemcies and remains loyal to those you have been with him for the start. He was quick to throw Rhymer and others under the bus the last time .
Sing to the tune of Green Christmas by John L The Great:
Santa Nat came riding by,
Smiling sweet with pure joy in his eye.
Santa Nat came riding by,
Happy he helped guide us through the COI.
Santa Nat, you lookin’ bold,
“Ragga man, I got things in control.
Tell me what you want this year,
Ah bringin’ blessings from anywhere.”
I don’t want no blight Christmas with Walwyn trio,
Just give me the right Christmas with Premier Na-tal-lio.
Because a blight Christmas does only bring stress,
I want nothing but success,
The BVI blessed,
And steady VI progress.
Santa Nat clear his throat to speak
Saying my request was truly unique.
Opportunity floating everywhere,
From RT to VG improvements in the air.
Development rising for all to see,
Vision, Integrity, Progress from VIP.
Runway opening doors across the sea,
New markets boosting the economy.
Santa Nat say he had one more ting,
And this one go’ surely make opposition sting.
With a $100 million ready to share,
This go’ be a very green VIP year.
I don’t want no blight Christmas with Skelton duo,
Just give me the right Christmas with Premier Na-tal-lio.
Because a blight Christmas does bring misery,
I want to honor history, sustain the remedy,
And move with VIP prosperity
Another one. Cr**ks. Th**ves. Wolves in sheep’s clothing. The lot of them.
So much hot air about serving the people, and yet here we are… apparently loyalty is negotiable.
Today is April fool’s? Too early..
no honor among thieves
There yuh go. Who’s next?
Good move 100%
More strength and power for Vip. The others aren’t sure…
He just killed is political career.
What’s the deal with the opposition now.
He will learn.
bWAHAHAHAHAHA
Sowande is being politically strategic. This move to get Mather has nothing to do with Mather. Sorry Mather you really wasn’t needed especially to go over by the VIP to be a backbencher.
This move is to have Walwyn removed as opposition leader. Myron has been giving them hell since he became opposition leader and people have been hearing a lot more of what is happening in country and the VIP is becoming more and more disliked in the eyes of the public. They want Myron removed and replaced with Marlon or Ronnie in which case they will be safe and sound again. This is what this move is about.
Who says that there isn’t any trouble in the VIP camp? Who knows? Maybe Natalio has plans for a cabinet reshuffle…?
It is all about the numbers and which players are effective. Bench who needs to benched.
Now about Myron and Marlon. Both cannot seem to get a party of viable candidates moving along at any pace. With elections drawing ever closer; who are Myron’s potential candidates and the same goes for Marlon. They both seem content as they both are of the opinion their district seats are comfortably theirs.
So what does that say about BOTH their leadership qualities? NDP/PVIM/The Alliance can’t get their soldiers together and where would that leave them come elections? Scrambling for candidates but knowing that they both safe in their districts and would veritably end right back up in the opposition.
Good move Hon. Mather now let’s see you work for your people.
He would not get a thing done. a promise is a comfort to a fool
Sowande isn’t doing anything except burying this country further. Some of you all need to watch the real game and stop praising this foolishness.
The VIP had the majority the day after elections with a cross over and to date have achieved nothing. A so called “elder statesman” crossed the floor and is achieving nothing. Now Mather will achieve nothing.
They are proving unequivocally that your vote does not count.
I am voting for myself next election.
the UK is watching and the world is laughing. we still don’t know who authorized the US$5,000,000 and opposition members crossing the floor to join the government
Cr**ks in a Barrel. .
I advised Mitch and Natalio to join the VIP years ago: one took my advice and leads the country. Smart move Mather.
are Crickets, Frogs, Grasshoppers and kangaroos…………JUMPING THERE AND EVERY WHERE
from time he and the corner lady was Jost van dyke as a team I felt something was up. They all alike. Set of traitors who will sell out in a flash for their own good.
Everybody cannot be at the helm. The opposition is no less important than a minister of backbencher. Everybody first interest should be the country and no citizen should suffer because their representative is not in the sitting government party. BVI already in hell
VOTE THEM ALL OUT WHICH ONE HAD THE MORAL TO GIVE BACK THEY GREEDY BILL SALARY ? NOT ONE YET THEY STILL DOUBLE THEY SALARY AFTER THAT IS ONLY MONEY AND GREED ALL A THEM THAT SAME MONEY CANT SAVE NONE OF YALL WHEN IT MATTERS
Congrats Mather for taking and opportunity to DO WORK! I understand that you are NOT a member of the VIP Party and moreover that given your last contribution in HOA (budget speech) that you just want the government to work for the people -US!
The haters are going to spew their venom saying all of the above for which they only see the surface and not what’s beneath – that YOU Hon. Mather has been a doer/go getter and the stagnation and bickering in HOA does nothing for the citizens of the country. A small start in the right direction and hopefully you get to show the masses what you have been doing all these years in private sector without much government assistance.
I do hope that the Premier stands by his words and you can contribute more now than ever before.
Crossing the floor once can be explained, crossing it twice in the same term is a red flag. Jumping from PVIM to The Alliance and now to the VIP doesn’t read as strategy, it reads as instability. It signals a politician still searching for a political home, and that uncertainty erodes credibility fast. In a climate where trust is already thin, this kind of zig zagging risks damaging your political future far more than any short term gain.
PVIM was a party that is no more. The Alliance is and never was a political party!! Just stop the crap. Ronnie dissolved the PVIM and moved to the NDP. Myron ran as an NDP. So what’s the fuss about? Mather ain’t join no VIP party – he was offered a position to tackle whatever it is that the Premier has tasked him with – nothing less; nothing more.
Some people just want the country to implode so long as they can benefit from the confusion.
Mather show them how it’s done bro. Work with your mouth closed for the time being like the old people used to say. Let you work speak volumes as it has done for you in private sector.
hank you for the explanation. He didn’t join the VIP but joined the Government to complete whatever the Premier tasks him with. Well, let’s go through the evidence. The Premier has a full Government and everybody is a Minister, three junior Ministers included. And this is history in the making in our country. So everybody has a portfolio and the Hon. Premier has not yet tasked anyone to do a doggone thing, so the idea that he is going to do so with Mather is, well, doubtful. He is too busy travelling, partying and strategizing for next election season to give a damn about us and this country.
So, we will indeed be ‘Idiats’ to believe your story. The Government is doing nothing and therefore Mather will do nothing. Ask the Hon. Minister for Communication and Works, no money. Premier has to allocate the funds. How much was allocated towards fetes and parties? Hon. Fraser went across hopefully to assist his District. Where do you, idiat, live? Hope it is not on the western end. Lots of idiats with an ‘a’ in the place but it is not us. It is you and the others who drank that green juice that you cannot purge from your system. Try drink some bitter rash or sour sop bitters or something because quite frankly it is embarassing reading and listening to some of you. Mather, well, he is grown and can align himself with whom he wants. But be advised that the VIP Government is a Big Fat Failure and that is it and that is all!!!
Why did he decide to join the government now? Didn’t he say they had asked him to join them the day after the last elections? Who’s fooling whom? Why, after almost 3 years in the HOA, his talk now changed?
This was a choice of position over principle.
Of access over accountability.
Of status over steadfastness.
Of reward over responsibility.
Of proximity to power over promises to people.
When a politician cycles through 3 parties in a single first term and ultimately embraces what they once condemned, it’s not evolution, it’s expediency.
Country cannot be invoked only when convenience calls.
Integrity is proven by restraint, not relocation.
Gone to party at a jam and say the vibes bad. Leave and go to another jam then it is the drinks hot. Gone to a third fete. This very fete you said was the most dangerous one filled with germs and dirty glasses and thieves and crooks. Same fete you warned all of your friends to stay away from. But now here you are. Eventually the realization will hit that the parties aren’t the problem, YOU are!
Do these politicians really understand politics , loyally
What a shame big mature men cannot stand their grounds in a political areana
Politics and politicians are a big joke in this country?
How can their supporters be LOYAL to such wishy
Washy hungry power men …. Using justification to cover up their undignified, unethical and unprincipled actions
This country is going to the dogs
VI political leadership is yearning for political hygeine. Hopefully, a clean and clean plaTE IS AROUND THE CORNER.
Politics, unfortunately has decended into the realm of corrupt and sewlf serving individuals who see politics as a means of gaining monetary riches and name fame.
The local people are of no interest to them except for the next voting time.
It is hoped that they make up soon.
I want to find out something about ** supermarket. A few days ago, I buy a 10lb chicken leg at **Supermarket for $11.99. Today when I went back there to buy another 0ne, the price went up to $15.99. No sir, the Government have to do something about this. This is crazy, is this the B.V.I coming too? I refuse to say this, greed is taking over our country. We need to put a stop to this now! Mark really doing this to we?
STOP EAT CHICKEN STOP SUPPORTING THE STORES DOING THAT SIMPLE THEY WILL FEEL IT
BVI democracy in danger, time to wake up people, save the country, no opposition, all politicians going under one umbrella, danger, danger
Yet you could never stand without a party and run… You really gotta kiss the finger one way or another huh???
Mather lied to me once, so this isn’t a surprise.
I remember this same Mather condemning Lorna during the opposition press conference for crossing over the day after the 2023 elections. The VIP is worse now than they were then in 2023 and now you join them claiming that you want improve things?
What are you smoking? In my view you just killed your chances of re-election. You are a snake.
Look at their common allies, follow the patterns. Who and what are they loyal to? What senior and youth initiatives have been organized and implemented across the territory by him? We accept hot words and phrases too often instead of looking deeper. Zebras don’t change stripes, but snakes shed their skin.
IF NOT CORRECTED TIES WITH PEOPLE CONNECTED TO THE YOU KNOW WHAT AND WHO LOL
Nonsense you tools spewing on here!!! How ayo sayin’ B$ about the man so blatantly without an ounce of credibility? How?!? The man ran with PVIM and won. Facts. The Alliance is and never was a political party – get that thru those thick skulls. Mather never was with NDP. Facts.
How you do any of you know if this was about anything other than the man wants to WORK for the people?! Same set of cowbirds singing betrayal and other emotionally driven lies are the ones whom voted VIP in their districts!! The politically immature electorate is what has set the tone and mandate by giving the VIP party the power.
What has Marlon accomplished in alll his years as leader of NDP? Diddly Squat – yet y’all yappping chihuahuas gonna still put him back in along with the current incumbents. The same set of voters that parties to the tune of me, me and more me.
Mather you’re BRAVE and hope to see you showcase your strong work ethics, leadership and bridge the divide of this political chaos for us all!
A bird whisper in my ear , telling me the VIP will call an early election in 2026