I have no confidence in Premier’s leadership of BVI — Smith
Former Deputy Premier Lorna Smith has expressed a distinct lack of confidence in Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley’s ability to lead the BVI.
Smith, who was recently dismissed from her ministerial role, suggested during a press conference yesterday that being vocal about her positions on actions taken by Premier Wheatley may have cost her the job she held dearly.
Smith was removed from her position as Minister for Financial Services, Labour, and Trade, with Premier Wheatley citing a lack of support for Commission of Inquiry (COI) obligations as one of the reasons for her dismissal.
However, Smith strongly rejected this claim, calling it “simply untrue” and urging the Premier to be honest with the public.
“I don’t want to be overly critical, but to answer the question frankly, I don’t think so,” Smith declared when questioned by reporters over whether she had confidence in Dr Wheatley’s leadership going forward. The former Labour Minister said she highlighted her growing concerns about the government’s direction many times.
“I have raised my concerns with the Premier and with my colleagues multiple times,” Smith said. “And there have been a few positive responses. If you want to put it; a few positive noises. But in terms of the real progress that I want to see after, I believe it’s nearly 18 months, I just am not seeing it.”
Dismayed by the lack of action
Reflecting on her tenure, Smith expressed pride in her accomplishments, which include leading successful trade missions, launching critical programmes like the “Tomorrow’s Leaders” internship, and implementing legislative reforms within her ministry.
Despite her achievements, however, she criticised the Premier for the government’s lack of progress in crucial areas.
“I have been dismayed by the lack of action in critical areas, such as infrastructure, communications, tourism development and economic support for all people,” she said. Smith remarked that, under Premier Wheatley’s leadership, the country is “not progressing for the good of the people.”
She also took issue with the slow implementation of the COI recommendations, which she believes has led to instability in the territory’s relationship with the UK. The former Deputy Premier was especially critical of Wheatley’s handling of government spending, specifically pointing to a recent controversial $220,000 expenditure on a concert, which she believed was ill-timed given the pressing needs in education, infrastructure, and water supply.
“For you to take up that kind of money to give for a concert… that was beyond the pale,” the former Deputy Premier said. Smith made it clear that her removal was more about political differences than any failure to fulfil COI obligations.
She claimed the Premier was surrounding himself with individuals who were more willing to “go along to get along,” adding that her loyalty remains with the people of the Virgin Islands, not to political alliances.
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If she lacked confidence in the Premier why didn’t she resign rather than staying.
She is right about the expenditure – the Premier’s willingness to waste money on his concert hosting friends is worrying.
She fudge not resign understandably because she swore to be a rep of the people and to function as such. It was/ is not about her ..GzBecaysexsge stayed we got to know and tOrealize What Sowande us not. For starters he is for him,his vices and nothing else.The UK also saw the rollout lklf a lost cause. She was there for a cause implemented by Divine Intervention.
nothing for Sourberry Media or salty Cindy all day
EVERYONE needs to MARCH to HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY and DEMAND the NARC***TIC Premier’s removal!!!!!!
Did not resign bc I aas holding a Trump sit.I have to work for my people also for my Family.Thank you.voters!
We the people surmised the issue to be just as you describe.
It is so obvious,in addition his lackof characteristics spewing lies as the reason.
Your character preceeds you and is well regarded in the UK, the Caribbean and elsewhere as a result of your longtime and steadfast force of goodwill in and out of the political arena of these VI. Thank you for all that you do and has done.
The Premier already had a track record of achieving nothing before she chose to join them, but she joined them anyway. This was 18 months ago. So why lambast him publicly now. Keep it private. No one needs to know. All we know is that the people voted for a merger of parties (since the parries didn’t have the humility to merge themselves) and she went against the will of the people…against democracy. They did not vote her under no VIP ticket and the opposition held the majority. Is it a wonder why the Premier says he did not trust her? NO!
Stay there and be humble. We need to stop blaming others for the problems we caused.
Speaking of no confidence, who did away with a consumer protection bill that would protect the people of this land to instead push for visa exemptions for Guyana. Is that what the people asked for? Where are the perks and benefits for our people? The ones I heard she been enjoying on the taxpayers dime.
It looking like the Premier did the right thing as time passes. We will wait and see.
She couldn’t do Guyana without the Premier and the rest of the cabinet members; so don’t blame her alone.
You sound like a real FOOL! How is she land blasting him? SMH
The Hon Lorna Creque Smith is expressing her dissatisfaction with the government performance, which she was a member of, but if she were so dissatisfied she had options, ie, she could have resigned. Why did she not resign? Did she enjoy the power , status, privileges, influence, etc? She reminds of the fox and grapes fable. The fox had tried all day to reach some grapes which were high up in tree. At the end of the day, the fox declared to hell with it, for the grapes were sour anyway. It is a case of sour grapes. Trust and loyalty matters. Does the Hon Smith have either? She hung the opposition out to dry. Is she adrift in the ocean without an air. More time on Natalio leadership. The BVI political system is in flux. It is either that our former leaders, ie, Lavity Stoutt, Ralph Oneal, Orlando Smith, Cyril Romney, and Andrew Fahie failed to effectively train the next generation of political leaders or the next generation of leaders were only interested in power, benefits, etc., ie, the Greedy Bill.
@Mustang thanks for the reminder on the Fox story. lol
@ Mustang
Your concluding lines bring to mind what Thomas Hardy wrote under “Chorus of the Earth” in his tragedy “The Dynasts”.
We would establish those of kindlier build,
In fair compassions skilled,
Men of deep art in life development.
HE HAD NO CONFIDENCE IN HER THATS WHY HE FIRED HER
or could not have her like a puppet like he has the others? Especially Sharie!
Dont try it. Sharie will be the first X on my ballot.
She going to try and derail Ronnie, WATCH AND SEE!
Sowande going with Ronnie too, just watch and see.
The same Ronnie she had to kill ehem when she hubby foolishly gave Ronnie Finance portfolio!
Every dog has his day…..TEK DAT!
SAMPSON GOT THE UPPERHAND ON DELILAH
You had no confidence in him, yet you sat and said nothing while he made disastrous decisions. Now that he made one that concerns you, you suddenly have a voice.
These Virgin Islands are tied up in a seriously tight knot. The one thing I know for certain is that because of the spiritual nature of our problems there is no way out. We have six individuals fighting for political leadership to the detriment of the people and country. While we should be making plans to weather the present geopolitical storm we are chasing our tail in a dizzying circle wasting valuable time and money.
It’s the old people in the House of Assembly who are causing the most problems and most instability. The three of them need to be retired.
Ronnie Skelton:
Because he did not win the NDP elections he broke up the party to make way for Andrew Fahie to cause a mess for us. He had a second chance in 2023 to join back with the NDP and he refused and he made way for Natalio to have us in more mess.
Lorna Smith:
She ran on the NDP ticket. She could have never won an election unless she was on that party. She crossed the floor before she even got on the floor of the House of Assembly. She gave power to Natalio to mess up our country the way it is.
Julian Fraser:
Fraser cares about himself alone. He helped the opposition to form up the Vote of No Confidence and then went to join the same party that the vote was against.
Think about it. It is the old people who are messing up this country. They need to take their pension and go siddung.
Ahhhh, were they anything to start with? I have no issue w age but these 3 need to go for a while now.
We don’t want any blanket statement on slowing the CoI process down; she is only one member. what did she go slow with?
I see Trinidad politics in BVI, oops! There is is a Trinidad adviser, that s**ke Fraser, the BVI not serious,it’s a money and family affairs, not country first.
F**k All that free N* AKA k* let the BVI see how we going to deal with him all we doing is waiting, have to take them police off his payroll.
There are no friends nor enemies in politics, only changing alliances. Stay tuned, it will get more intriguing and interesting.
If the Honorable Deputy showed ambivalence about the no-confidence vote, then the Premier’s action was entirely reasonable. Any one of us, facing the same circumstances, would likely have made the same decision. Let’s not forget, we are dealing with ambitious people with large egos here—politics is full of them. No single politician holds a monopoly on that trait. The Deputy, like anyone else, has her own ambitions, and those ambitions include ascending to the highest office. She hs not lacked tranparency in her agenda and for that she is to be commended. She is, in essence, a hired gun—an exceptionally qualified and capable one, but a hired gun nonetheless.
However There’s no need for a political eulogy here. The Honorable Deputy isn’t finished. In fact, she could well be the one to unite the fractured opposition and lead them toward a vision that genuinely serves the Territory.
I recognize that everyone has their own view of this situation. However, we seem to forget something pivotal to how we got where we are. And that’s those EGOS. PVIM, VIP, all of them called each other and all had the same response. No I won’t join you unless I am the Premier. Fraser said it to the public. No one called Lorna as a first choice. When Sowande called her as his last choice she took his offer. If Ronnie had called her she may have taken his offer. She has never been a push over and everyone should have recognized that she wasn’t going to be one just because she was second in command and last pick on the team. So when she felt she had to she spoke out and said what she thought. Trump has already said that when he is President again he’s going to jail everyone who disagrees with him. Our guy simply fires you when you disagree. It’s kind of like being in a cult. No one disagrees with the top guy because honesty or a difference of opinion will have negative consequences. So who will now deal with Trust industry and Labour? So far the Tourism sector is a bust as our leader puts the cart before the horse, paying for entertainment tourism to bring people here to drive around our dirty island on the pot holes we are calling roads. Instead of fixing roads and then bring people here. Bassackwards. Complete failure at Tourism. Even more failed at responsibility of the Treasury. Now he’ll deal with the other pillar of the economy? I don’t think so. But yeah lets blame Lorna for all of it. That’s easy peasy.
Dr N W you need to … to John F Kennedy and every Government department need to go on stick , he wants to hold show and party with people money, that’s messed up God don’t sleep
The UK is watching. Love it
Like many of us “no confidence “
U can’t work with a bu**y that is young and irresponsible
U have all the experience u are a brilliant woman I’m
Sorry u helped the climb and was kicked down by the foot u pushed up
What’s going on with that road around fat hogs Bay Area
Meanwhile we feteing ……
Period
Seems as though her chickens have come home to roost. It took roughly 18 months in her case, but trust me, they always come home…
If you could come on threating to kill why not tell us all he did? kill his rep seeing as all is talk. Why tell a man you are after him? if its his choice to stay in jail or come out & if the police are on his payroll duh he will stay in ofcourse.
She knew what was coming but realised that if she jumped ship it would have brought down the government. So she gave the Premier time to seal a deal.
I love the semantics of politics. The government grosses $1 additional dollar in revenue. those that are feeling the direct impact shouts the economy is stalled but the government officials can say the economy isn’t stalled because we grossed an additional $1 from more cruise ship passengers visiting the territory.
Think the bvi need people like CSC and Squindy in HOA.
… get back in your cooooorna!
You can go to church every Sunday and still lack morals don’t forget that BVI.