Lifting of Order in Council not signal to relax

Education Minister Sharie de Castro has cautioned that the recent lifting of the UK’s Order in Council must not be interpreted as a moment for complacency, warning instead that the territory’s leaders remain under scrutiny both locally and internationally.

Speaking last week in the House of Assembly, de Castro framed the milestone as a hard-earned achievement born out of unity and sustained reform, but stressed that it also ushers in a new phase of responsibility for the Virgin Islands.

“The order has been lifted… but let us not mistake this moment for calm waters,” she said. “What this represents is not an end. It is a test that we have passed, and a responsibility that we must now carry forward.”

Her remarks come amid repeated warnings from legislators that the United Kingdom and other external observers continue to monitor the conduct of elected officials and ordinary citizens — often citing their behaviour when making critical assessments of the territory and justifying interventionist measures.

The minister likened the territory’s journey to navigating a storm at sea, explaining that the discipline exercised during that turbulent period must now be maintained even in more stable conditions. Her caution echoes broader concerns raised by lawmakers that any misstep by public officials could be seized upon by critics abroad, potentially undermining the territory’s push for greater autonomy and constitutional advancement.

De Castro also emphasised that leadership would now be judged not by the reforms created during the crisis, but by the consistency with which they are upheld.

“We cannot be the architects of accountability in one moment and the exception to it in the next,” she said. “Leadership is not proven in what we create, it is proven in what we uphold.”

Looking ahead, de Castro pointed to upcoming constitutional negotiations as a critical phase in shaping the Virgin Islands’ future, urging unity, clarity, and purpose among leaders.

“We are not simply negotiating provisions,” she said. “We are shaping the keel of this vessel for generations to come.”

Her message reinforces a growing consensus within the House of Assembly and general society: that while the immediate threat of direct UK intervention may have subsided, the territory’s actions moving forward will determine whether that chapter remains closed — or is reopened.