BVI won’t accept NDP gov’t led by Penn, says Skelton Cline
Political commentator Claude Skelton Cline said the BVI would not accept a National Democratic Party (NDP) government led by Marlon Penn, as internal divisions continue to trouble the opposition camp.
Skelton Cline addressed the state of opposition politics following recent realignments in the House of Assembly and the weakening of the NDP after the 2023 general election. He said the party no longer carries the strength or unity it once had and warned that leadership uncertainty was further damaging its prospects.
“I do not believe that the country is going to accept an NDP leadership under the member of the Eighth to lead,” he said, adding that maintaining such a course would leave voters with little reason to reject the current administration. “We might as well keep the current government,” Skelton Cline stated.
The comments come amid continued fragmentation within the opposition, with several former NDP figures now sitting firmly outside the party or aligned elsewhere. Skelton Cline noted that many of the individuals now opposing the government are either current or former NDP members, yet remain unable to agree on leadership or direction.
He said the party lacked the capacity to withstand internal disputes and should avoid further division. “You are too weak to be fighting internally,” he warned while urging members to settle leadership questions swiftly and present a united front to the public.
Skelton Cline argued that the NDP’s best electoral chance would come under leadership with broader national appeal and organisational weight. He suggested that without such leadership, the party would struggle to regain credibility or form a viable government.
“If the At-Large member [Ronnie] Skelton is not leading the NDP, the NDP stands less of a chance of being elected,” he said, pointing to the financial and organisational demands of mounting a national campaign.
He also warned that failure by established parties to regroup could open the door to new political movements. According to Skelton Cline, voter frustration, combined with leadership disputes, could fuel support for alternative groupings ahead of the next election.
The NDP governed the territory from 2011 to 2019 before losing office to the Andrew Fahie-led Virgin Islands Party in a crushing defeat. Since then, internal splits and electoral losses have weakened the party’s presence in the legislature, a reality that Skelton Cline said cannot be ignored if it hopes to regain public confidence.
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Skeleton send he….Lawd send help lol.
What troubles me is this: when the dysfunction has been so visible and so undeniable, why is it that the public persists in casting Hon. Lorna Smith as a traitor or a Delilah? Why is the anger so selectively applied, with little of it directed toward Hon. Fraser? From the outset, she recognized the disorder within the NDP and made a conscious decision not to be drawn into it, choosing instead a path she believed would offer stability and purpose. She ran openly as an independent, and in doing so made it clear that she retained the freedom to work with either side. With the benefit of hindsight, and in light of the chaos that has since unfolded, her decision appears not reckless but prudent. Indeed, those who supported her should now see that choice for what it was—a wise and prescient act of leadership.
Delilah is a traitor, nothing more to say. We all know who she be.
Let us look at Marlon:
Marlon feels entitled to be leader of the NDP. He grabbed the leadership without an election in the NDP when Myron resigned. The NDP did not grow under him and only won 3 seats in the last election. The people of district 8 would vote out Marlon if they had a viable alternative. They complain that he is lazy and he doesn’t do anything. He is low energy and does not have what it takes to lead the BVI.
Let’s look at Ronnie:
Ronnie will be 73 years old next election. What has Ronnie done for the last 3 years? Nothing! He has shown some awful qualities that has caused some to lose respect for him. He went off to form PVIM because he lost the NDP elections. He refused to stand up for the people during the vote of no confidence because he was more interested in seeing Myron fail than doing what he was sent to the legislature to do. Even tho this was the same vote of no confidence that he failed to bring previously. Ronnie performed poorly when he was leader of the opposition. THAT IS A FACT! He uses Bishop Cline his best friend and CSC his nephew to fight his battles for him while he remains quiet. This is his MO. This country has gone beyond Ronnie Skelton. All those 70 plus legislators need to give the next generation of leaders a chance. Ronnie, Fraser and Lorna have caused more problems than good in politics
You still don’t get it do you? The BVI does not want you Myrun. So no amount of blogging on Marlon and Ronnie is going to help your cause. Everyone one around you will eventual see you for who you are self serving. That’s why Budda left you high and dry. Your b** news political poison and 6th will eventual see you for who you are also.
So continue to try your best to discreet Smurf and Ronnie every one will eventual see you for the reptile you truly are.
Ronnie was a head of a party twice and both times he was rejected by the people. Myron was the head of a party one time and was rejected. Marlon was the head me time and was rejected. Wouldn’t it be wise to say that if the people don’t want Myron that they don’t want Marlon and even more so don’t want Ronnie since he was rejected twice? That sound like common sense to me.
Wow! This post sounds very personal and filled with hatred. Somebody touched a nerve. You should seek some professional help for that type of anger and hatred you have stored up inside you.
So you curse out someone who posted but you said nothing about what CSC said about Marlon. So if you don’t defend Marlon and cursed out Myron on your vile post then you are likely a Ronnie family member or friend. All of you have one plan, make everybody else feel inferior to lift up your uncle and make him feel superior. Superior for what? What has he done? ENTITLEMENT!
No lies detected here.
Anything to get ENTITLEMENT uncle to be premier. Tell us what has he done since 2023? I cannot tell the last time I saw him in my district.
NDP got more trouble than anything. I heard their meeting break up because Marlon people demanding that he be leader. Those same people who supporting him are still going around his back saying he is no leader. Bishop Cline only interested in having his best friend Ronnie as the Premier for his personal benefit. It will benefit CSC also. Everybody just looking for their own interest.
At least Marlon could win his seat. I cannot see Ronnie being re-elected so there is that. Why push a man to the lead who coukd hardly win his seat?
Watch the strategy – eliminate everybody who is a threat to uncle Ronnie. Remove Myron as opposition leader and put Ronnie even though Myron out performed Ronnie as leader of the opposition and has shown to be a much better representative than him.
Eliminate Marlon – He can’t run the country and he is not a leader.
That is the strategy of the Skelton- Cline group to put a crown on Ronnie’s head even though he has not done nothing to deserve it.
ENTITLEMENT!
(expletive)YES we Virgin Islanders should be entitled in our own land! Yes Marlon and Yes Ronnie should be entitled. Not only have they earned their stripes over the years but they are true Virgin Islanders. Along with many others. But you all keep throwing around this word entitled like it is a negative. It is only negative when you have not put in the work or are not qualified OR if it comes from jealous insecure outsiders!
Hon Myron does not converse about locals should be in top positions etc once qualified- he usually dance around topics.
He sees Free for all Country.whilst in SVG & SKN etc.they make sure they are heard in their Country.They are not called out asdiscriminative whilst locals are being called out as commiting the act.
Cline can say all he wants but everything the BVI is dealing with comes down to the voters. There is no way Andrew Fahie and VIP should have been elected over Myron Walwyn and the NDP back in 2019. The voters need to take responsibility instead of complaining and talking about new parties all the time. There was no way Andrew should have won back then and no way Natalio should have won 6 seats in 2023. Please continue to live in denial and blame others and not the ones who actually do the voting.
Exactly.
I cannot see any rationale around voting the VIP back in under Natalio. Except they all thought kickbacks would have been rolling in steady.
Instead, they have to watch them receive huge salaries for doing nothing and huge payouts when they retire, while they can barely put food on their table.
Ah glaad fo all ah dem.
“voting has consequences”
VIPeople won’t accept more BS fr9m CSC on bvi NEWS
as a retired senior citizen and pesioner, i state a point of fact that my greatest personal and political dissapointment was with NDP and its members.
From all of the promises still unkept to the national financial degredation that is still retrograding the pension income to a state of insufficiency.
When will this government give the pensioners the increases they desperately need?
People are tired of being broke and broken, and are tired of men in suits posing for media shots.
The Pensioners need relief yesterday. Will a new government do any better for those folks?
The only loyal person to his leadership in all of theis is Marlon
Regardless to what his weakness are he has stability over all the other grasshoppers
He was the only face of the party. Leave him . He is not loudmouth like the rest if then but he knows how to be polite, respectful and loyal
Values the others do not have . Leave the man. He is loved in his district .
Many wants Ronnie Skelton as head of NDP Head
What has this guy done to help this country to think he has more say than anybody else. This man came back from Detroit and just sucked the every government. Now he wants his uncle in government so he could suck some more.
They will only accept your 73 year old uncle who does nothing. CSC must think we are blind.