BVI leaders respond to new threats from UK gov’t
House of Assembly (HOA) members have pushed back against new threats from the United Kingdom government, following comments by UK Overseas Territories Minister Stephen Doughty warning that London “will not hesitate to act” if critical reforms in the BVI are not properly funded and implemented.
In an October 13 statement to the UK Parliament, Minister Doughty praised the BVI government for what he called “important progress” in strengthening governance and transparency. He acknowledged that several key pieces of legislation have been passed under the UK-BVI reform framework and that a UK takeover is no longer necessary.
However, Doughty warned that the “hard work now begins” and cautioned that the UK “reserves the right to take any appropriate actions necessary” if good governance standards slipped.
Doughty takes dig at police vetting
Doughty also expressed deep concern about a recent review by the UK’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services, which found serious shortcomings within the Virgin Islands’ law enforcement agencies. He cited the urgent need to improve police vetting and overall enforcement capability, stressing that “appropriate funding” must be provided to protect residents and combat organised crime that also affects the wider region.
“It is vital that these and other changes are made with urgency and appropriate funding provided,” he said. “I will not hesitate to act if urgent improvements are not made.”
But BVI leaders have not taken Doughty’s threats lightly.
In a joint response, HOA members welcomed Doughty’s recognition of the progress made but called for a more respectful and collaborative tone from London. They said the BVI had entered the reform process “in good faith, with diligence, integrity, and a commitment to meaningful reform,” and that the territory’s progress deserved to be acknowledged without the continued threat of intervention.
The territory’s leaders pointed to their successes under the reform program, including 18 new laws that have been passed to strengthen transparency and accountability. They reaffirmed their willingness to continue working transparently with the Governor under the agreed monitoring arrangements, but put London on notice that the reform process “cannot be a perpetual state” but must evolve into self-sustaining governance grounded in local accountability and the right of Virgin Islanders to shape their own future.
“As we move forward, we seek to take our relationship with the United Kingdom to a new level of maturity, one defined by trust, collaboration, and mutual respect,” the statement read. “The people of the Virgin Islands have delivered substantial change that deserves to be acknowledged with respect.”
The exchange between the UK and the BVI governments comes amid the territory’s ongoing constitutional review process, which is exploring greater self-governance and devolution of power to local institutions. The process follows the 2022 Commission of Inquiry, which found “gross failures of governance” and led to a UK-imposed reform framework. The Virgin Islands government has since reported completing 46 of the 48 required reforms, with only two outstanding items needing constitutional or judicial amendments.
For the House of Assembly, the UK’s revocation of the Order in Council should mark a turning point in the relationship between the two governments. They insist that the reforms have already strengthened governance and transparency in the territory and that the future must be built on partnership, not pressure.
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Haha. VI HOA sking UK for a more respectful tone.
Anyone seen these jokers in COI or in the media. Check the yellow belly site Speaking about the UK. Ha ha.
Giving lessons in respect and they don’t even respect the voice of their own people.
Where are reports, BOA money, audited accounts, transparency, accountability, roads, and admin complex, the $3Billion spent in 8years.
Where is it all????
Someone (UK) is finally looking at the mess the local politicians have created.
Don’t let the off the hook otherwise they steal the rest of the funds in the Bank..
Some love the UK and its overseas ownership hardline rule. However, love without respect is harm in disguise. Seems, nothing done will satisfy a hungry predator, the UK officials. His aim is to take and eat all for himself.
As in centuries past, which have brought us to this time in history, they are sitting in England every day looking and trying daily to attack, dismantle and appropriate this helpless small rock, which they are probably thinking, given their horrendous state of the economy and now fragile dependence on African exploitations.
Seems as though a screen is obviously been set in motion thinking the VI is rich enough to feed her world standings.
The current and coming new leaders must be aware of the neocolonialist mind, recognize the historical versus the human history, wake up and do all that is necessary to avert the colonial mindset of past centuries from revitalizing, attacking, taking and appropriating our the people’s only homeland again.
The grand sons of the colonialist are without knowledge, care or concern for human feelings and aspirations of these islands, except for the UK extracts.
They know and care about the imaginary rich economic pillars of the bird sanctuaries in the Caribbean Sea, that their ancestors once took by force, extermination and genocide of the original people, from which their grand sons seem even more heartless and determined than their grand fathers.
Those are historical truths that must be brought forward in today’s political halls and minds of human beings. In this new century, the sins and exploits of colonialism are used as badgering rams to compel a centuries old people how they should be running their financial and political affairs.
Accordingly, UK must begin thinking about and adopting a new international “leave people alone” worldview and policy.
If the UK is silently pushing the VI towards independence it should make its desires known, as that article in the BVI News has the tone of a belligerent and hostile over seer.
If those officials have not the morality, human dignity and political decency to treat our leaders, as horrible as they are, with manners and respect, then they should leave us alone let us continue to chart our own course and fulfill our own destiny.
If so, then, we should acquiesce their wants and go our separate ways, as we should not be accepting colonial whips across our backs on the daily basis.
All that to say
the moment we can show fiscal responsibility we can be free.
That easy to write, much harder to do.
@ Neo Colonialism
All that said might have some me truth; but WE tend to forget that it is AFRICIAN TRIBES captured others and sold to the WHITE MAN : I’m seeing /experiencing modern day slavery right here in BVI where some are trying to create a distinct separation of the HAVESand the HAVE NOTS
People in authority/ business ( MANY are GUILTY ) continue to “rape and plunder “ on our expact ppl by LOW WAGES. //EXCESSIVE HOURS. /// NO OVER TIME PAYMENT// NO JOB DESCRIPTION
And it is these SAME ppl who are shouting about going INDEPENDENT—-
What will BVI become under the leadership of those leading the cause ???
A Narco State
A Dictatorship
A Bird Sanctuary
It WILL not be pretty for the ( HAVE. NOTS )
Food for thought
@ Me again:
Thanks for aking me the truths.
Hôwever, you began your first statement iyour commt with a false statement. That narrtive has been disproven over and ōver. It is only the white european who still cling to such narratives for personal and psychological comfōrt.
He disowns any comment that speaks ill truths about him
See examples of this above.
The country’s. media is becoming a white UK racist state where onl his lies must obe posted as truths.
THE CAUCASIAN CANT ACCEPT THE TRUTH IN ANY FORM—
IF IT DOES NOT BENEFIT TE-HIM, T-HE-Y WILL COMPLETELY INGNORE IT, AND IGNORE YOU TOO !!!
Go to the USA, they love racists there..
WA WA WA If there’s no money involved that can be pocketed just complaints
WIGO , BOI CAN’T YOU STAY ON YOUR RACIST YELLO SITE SITE AND SPEW OUT YOUR PROPAGANDA / EVEN AFTER THE COI THE COUNTRY IS STILL IN THE SAME STATE WE HAFETHE ( RENTAL RODEO ) GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS ARE FIXED IN SLOW MOTING , WHILE FAMILY BUILDINGS ARE LAVISHING IN TAXPAYERS MONEY FROM RENTALS , SH*T STILL RUNNING ON THE STREETS / DON’T TALK ABOUT OUR LOVELY ROADS , GUNS – DRUGS- ROBBERY MURDER HAVE BECOME THE NORM – JUST LIKE TRAVELING , AND THE PEOPLE DON’T KNOW HOW ITS BENIFITING THE COUNTRY – FREE JAMS IS ANOTHER WAY THESE PLAYERS ARE SQUANDERING OUR TAXPAYERS MONEY , POOR PEOPLE CANNOT GET A DECENT HOURLY WAGE PER DAY BUT MASTER WEATIE AND HIS GANG DOUBLE THEIR SALARIES INSTEAD AND IS SMILING ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK , WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO SPEAK THE TRUTH AND STOP USING RACISM AS AN EXCUSE , YOU MAKING YOURSELF LOOK BAD .AND THATS YOUR CHOICE , BUT AT THE SAME TIME YOU MAKING THE COUNTRY LOOK BAC IN THE PROCESS , THE OUTSIDE WORLD WOULD LOOK AT US A RAVIST COUNTRY ALL BECAUSE OF YOUR IGNORANCE – ARROGANCE AND SH*TTY MENTALITY , GO AND PLAY YOUR PRECIOUS WIG
You got somehing feh WIGGIE eh. It soff oh hard?
He should carh yo ramm some whey and buss yo wide open with a meal prick.
Like caucasions,you to have an avertion to truths and facts. Are you one?
We labeling transparency as threats lol okay.
Independence a must them say
Life in the bvi was a lot better before those white people came out of the Caucus mountain cave.
Caribbean folks love Caucasian money..they say it sweeeeet…lol
NOPE ,AM JUST A BLACK MESSENGER , LOOKS LIKE YOUR MASK AINT WUKIN , YOU ARE SPOILING THE COUNTRY JUDGE JUDAS , OR WIGGIE, AM SURE ” PUMKIN ” CAN SATISFY YOUR NEEDS , SO CHECK HIM OUT AT HIS – CASTLE BALLZOM , DON’T FORGET YOUR WIG & MAKE UP – THONG AND HAND BAG .