Migration from NDP continues, party VP resigns
“I didn’t leave the NDP because my brother lost … It actually got to a point where I could not stomach it anymore” — Dr Turnbull
By Davion Smith, BVI News Staff
Migration from the National Democratic Party (NDP) is continuing; this time with the resignation of a high-ranking party official, Dr Michael Turnbull.
His resignation comes less than a year after being elected as the party’s Vice-president.
Like former NDP political candidate Shaina Smith, Dr Turnbull tendered his resignation last week because of differences in values between himself and the party.
He said the party’s leadership for the last several months has consistently shown a lack of accountability and a lack of other key factors.
“It’s never one straw that broke the camel’s back,” Dr Turnbull said. “These straws have been piling up over and over but I’ll just say the lack of communication, the lack of integrity, the lack of transparency, the lack of ability to say ‘I’ve done something wrong, we’ve not been perfect‘, and own up to their mistakes.”
“When you can’t acknowledge those kinds of things, it makes it very difficult. If somebody is not willing to admit things that have gone wrong, then they are destined to repeat it. And I couldn’t wait around and allow it to be repeated on my watch,” he added.
Dr Turnbull said the problems he outlined are not attributed to any one person.
He, however, noted that some of the NDP’s longest-serving members seem to be the driving forces behind the party’s so-called problems.
“It’s gotten to deep levels within. I think there are great people within the National Democratic Party but their voices are being drowned out by people that have special interests and those special interests may not be in the best interest of the whole country,” he said
I didn’t quit because Mitch lost internal election
Dr Turnbull’s resignation comes months after his brother Melvin ‘Mitch’ Turnbull — the representative of the Second Electoral District — lost in the NDP’s internal elections when he contested to become Deputy Chairman.
He (Melvin) was running mate to Health Minister Ronnie Skelton who, at the time, was vying for the party’s chairmanship position.
“I didn’t leave the NDP because my brother lost. I stayed for months after and I was involved … It actually got to a point where I could not stomach it anymore. I don’t [usually] quit but the cause is too important for me to go along silent anymore and we need people to open their eyes and see that there are options to the recovery and the betterment of this country,” Dr Turnbull asserted.
Dr Turnbull is now aligned with the Progressive Virgin Islands Party Movement (PVIM), a political organisation which he is said to be a founding member. Minister Skelton is reported to be the party’s leader.
Dr Turnbull said he is now aligned with PVIM because Skelton, himself, and his brother Melvin all share similar visions of integrity, transparency, accountability, and hope.
Copyright 2024 BVI News, Media Expressions Limited. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.
So let me get this. Micheal Turnbull is a founding member of VIPM…. hmmm. This party has been in the making for the last 6 months and he is now just resigning from the NDP. This more than likely means that he was in the NDP executive while helping to form a new party that he is a founding member of. Is that ethical? To me it’s not. Is he a pastor as well?
The Premier knows all this & he’s such a poor leader that he hasn’t fired one Minister as yet to send them a message. We the people are being taken for a ride.
Biggest problem with them polititrician running all over the dam place and some of them dam rude you hear. I not voting for anybody with a troublle record. If you got crime, corruption, mistrust, hatred don’t come a beg ya. Don’t come to my door to pretty up nothing. If all you can’t get along and a pretend don’t come. I tired a this s***t. A not buying into it. NDP, VIP, PIPP, PpP whatever all you old pp is don’t come. I don’t want to see nobody you hear nobody. Don’t want to see shaina you is problematical. Don’t want to see Ronnie either or any backstabbers. Enough of this s***t.
Keep the VIP out of this comess!!!
VIP is also part of the problem. This is not a new party.
Oh what a tangled web we weave.
You should be ashamed of yourself. The party was going along until you and Christopher decided to unseat Dr. Smith the party leader. Now that it has backfired you running like a coward and trying to make it look as if the new leader Myron has disrupted the party. Power and the lust for it corrupts.
Known for not taking accountability for anything. Watch these people who getting ahead making money off the public but what actual help have they given…make matters worse that’s all they do.
If Ronnie ain’t changed his glasses from that Chinese brand, I ain’t following this party.
Do you read the labels of the items you buy? Every d**n thing made in China.
Past members of the NDP has split to form another part. But…aren’t they still all part of the messed up NDP?
I am now voting for VIP ALL THE WAY! Say what you want about Fahie but he is running a stable and united ship with intelligent and hard working people that loves the BVI.
Oh Yeah, how intelligent are they? Not all of them for sure but We will see right. Fahie will bully them as soon as he gets what he wants. Want to Bet?!
Just get away frim trying to create confusion. You are just jealous of the unity of the VIP.
MW is the biggest bully out there, i will never forget how condescending he stood up in the HOA and address Mitch. How dare he when he aint half the man Melvin Turnbull is. MW thinks because he already stael the gov money and get his restaurants etc that he can do and say as he likes….no i dont think so. He is a pompous, arrogant, liar…he cannot be trusted.
@ live
First off ME had his 2 restaurants before he was in office and that’s a fact. You guys need to stop the madness and state facts.
That’s one of the problem…look where intelligence got us. Book sense but little to none common sense.
We need general elections NOW!!!!!!!!!
“Since myrun took over the party all the thrushies flew away”
Captain the ship is sinking…women, pastors & children are jumping off first. LOL.
I will not be voting for anyone in either NDP one or NDP TWO/TCP. They are both about themsleves & not the people.
Too many clouds are over Myron’s head.
What doesn’t start right cannot end right.
All these NDP people were involved in too much questionable comduct. They have destroyed our country.
Look how Ronnie sitting in the middle of a government and plotting to throw it down with a new party. This is not a leader. This is not a man you can trust.
Fahie either
Nice try but we the people knows better and see that Fahie is a good man & leader and not how a few of you have tried to paint him over the years.
Fahie is a whole heap of un————– and in the international arena.
We do not need a leader with a shadowy past.
His leadership would be a liability for the BVI in our foreign interactions.
No matter how some may like him ,we must be practical.
He would not be a good look for the VI.
He needs to show the people he cares about the real issues.
My vote will count based on actions.
More resignations to come. Myron is about Myron. He only works on making himself look good through trying to d——– anyone he feels is a t—- to him. What a pity.
The resignations that have already came and the ones to come area blessing to NDP, not a curse. Many of the things that people didn’t like about the NDP are now with the new party, isn’t that ironic? Now Mitch, Ronnie and Kedrick can scoot on over and form one big happy party.
Clearly you must be one of those who collect tax payers money unlawfully!! Be careful of your personal practices as we seek to expose all persons involved in the mishandling of tax payers money!
Too much corruption.
I had enough of these NDP gang and their internal wars. We need elections NOW!!! We don’t need any bi-elections. We need general elections NOW NOW NOW!!!
If you want to do anything questionable and never be investigated nor go to jail then join bald head and his gang.
Good for you for following your heart and mind. I hope that the PVIM has some serious intentions and a SMART action plan for the country.
How when it’s made up of the same people that are now being rejected? Two Ministers from Cabinet and one backbencher and because they have a different name they will be different? What am I missing here?
Like Really…you all need to just sit down and move over let other take over. I don’t want to hear from anyone of you all. We need leaders not followers. Be a man of your own mind and not be so influenced by others who promise you favors in exchange for your support. Be a man about it and just leave. Sometime silence is better than being so vocal as times those very words you use to explain (especially when not being truthful) comes right back to haunt you…I wish you and your brother who are definitely not leaders all the best maybe politics is not for either of you.
I will take my chances with Fahie & the VIP this bi-election and in the general elections. I respect how Fahie has rebuild the VIP. Through that and how he handled Irma in his area has proved to all that he is a true leader.
This NDP gang is like a soap opera. Every day is a new episode and it never has a good ending.
I could tell you! set of power hungry people.
Another one gone again!…Wow!…Something toxic over there!
a mass exodus
“come out from among them”
Don’t you dare use the Bible to defend the corrupt motives
Well MVW you still have my vote. I see the treatment don’t worry.
He doesn’t have mind nor my family’s vote nor does Ronnie.
Do we have a valid government at this point? Seems to me that the NDP has lost its majority in the HoA and a general election is needed NOW!
What i see happening is LOCALS vs. ISLAND PEOPLE
Really! OOps
Myron “THE DIVIDER” has divided the people of the BVI & now he has divided the NDP!
I am so disappointed. I hope is not the behavior in the churches because my lord and god is crying.
Don’t worry judgement begins in the house of god and we are seeing it bright and clear.
My people are destroyed because for lack of knowledge. Stop talking about Myron what you don’t have any facts to back up.
In time, all will be made plain about the new parties being formed and the people who are in key positions. We need all Virgin Islanders to be united. As it seems, it is island-man party, Myron; vs. BVIslanders Party, Ronnie.
Be careful people of the divide that you are dividing all Virgin Islanders. Stop this we vs. them mentality.
He won the internal elections so I guess a certain group of people have a problem with persons aspiring to leadership with a expatriate background. Be careful we are walking a very very dangerous road.
These people will stop at nothing for political power. All the trouble has now left the NDP so they should start rebuilding. From the time C—- S—– C—- joined the NDP that was problem. Then when —– Cline-Turnbull joined it was more problems. Now you have Ronnie Skelton, the best friend of John cline joining forces with TCP and Jamesy to form a party.
A set of power hungry people who will get a rude awakening at the polls. Don’t vote W— in the 5th district. He is with them and we all now it’s Ashley and Jamesy who controls this poor fellow.
Micheal Turnbull didn’t know he had issues with the party before he ran for elections and his preferred leaders lost? Those who just resigned rushed to have internal elections to get rid of Orlando. They lost the elections big time and now all their expectations have been dashed. Shame on R—– and all of them.
Nothing to add, you have the thing 100% correct. What a shame how these young people messing up themselves in the blind pursuit of power.
Listen to these set of hypocrites on here. Everybody is so intelligent and upstanding and ready to give advice. Well, thanks but no thanks.
Dr Turnbull keep your head up, lead the charge. A people must stand for something or fall for anything.
Lead which charge? These people are spineless and dangerous. How can you be a founding member of a party that has been in formation for the past 6 months and now resigning from the NDP? How can you support a new party where the senior members currently sit in Cabinet with the sitting NDP Government of which Myron Walwyn the NDP’s leader is a part of and be comfortable with themselves? If the NDP is that bad why hasn’t Ronnie, Mitch and Pickering resigned as yet? This whole charade makes me dizzy and disappointed. What has changed in the NDP so drastic that this one particular set had to bolt? Things that make you go hmmm.
Lead what charge. He talks a good talk but hides behind everyone else.
SELF INTEREST….IT’S ALL ABOUT THE VANTERPOOLS
What is alarming is that nowhere in these resignations or ‘moving on’ speeches have Shaina or Turnbull mention trying to hold meetings with the party brass to iron anything out. It seems as though they didn’t get their way so they bolted to start something else where they have the power. I don’t know how anyone can trust either of them with their lame excuses for leaving the party. Further, Mitch, Ronnie, Kedrick all lack ethics for sitting with the party while forming their own thing on the side and expect the voters to just be accepting of this behavior? Regardless of how you feel about Myron and/or NDP, there is no excuse for this type of behavior. Hon Pickering castigated the Speaker for the rumours of her running for office while being the Speaker, meanwhile he is with a new party being formed with other Government officials, while he is the Deputy Premier and continues to say that he is loyal to Dr. Smith as Premier. Loyalty? You jump on the speaker but nothing is being said about Ronnie, Minister of Health and part of an NDP Government, forming a party while sitting a a member of NDP and in Cabinet making decisions? Either these people are stupid or they think we are stupid, one of the two.
It’s alarming the minute somone stands up and does something contrary to the popular belief people come out of no where to criticize. I was on the Inside with him, and for over 18 months he has been trying to say over and over what needs to be done, worked tirelessly to do so to no avail. So get your facts correct.
Stop lie. These same people had issues with Shaina, Kedrick and others and now they join with them as the answer?
AMEN!
The NDP doing the same thing. Isn’t Ingrid still the Speaker of the House? Isn’t Sandy still the principal of ESHS? Isn’t she on Myron’s ticket. Has Kye Rhymer resigned yet? Has Trefor left the Tourist Board? All these people are still in jobs they don’t want to leave. Ronnie is no exception. He told them he was not running with them. They know. They don’t expect him to, so what did they expect. He is still the Minister until he resigns or is fired and he right to stay there because the things they want to approve through that Ministry if Ronnie is not there, will send you stupid. Please go sit down. Treason in this party started long ago and not with Ronnie. Ronnie have a right to take his time and sort himself out after what they all did. How you know they did not have meetings. How many times Myron was encouraged to meet these guys and sit down? Stop speaking what you don’t know. A news story won’t carry everything. No separation is relationships is ever easy. Many of us stay where we are until we are sure we are ready to leave. So the people on here who all of sudden self-righteous and know who everything is to be handled need to just take a chill pill and let the matter unfold how it may. We BVIslanders only have morals and ethics when it is not our situation, then we know how everybody else must behave. Go and pick the mote out of your eye before you try to harass Ronnie, Shaina and Mikey’s eyes, please and thanks.
Someone mashed your corn it seems. That was a long winded steaming pile of cow down.
What hogwash you talking when making this statement:
“We BVIslanders only have morals and ethics when it is not our situation, then we know how everybody else must behave.”
Speak for yourself as there are BVIslanders who stand for integrity and justice overall and will play no part in any form of unethical behaviour.
You sound so intelligent! It’s ok for Myrun to have already have candidates holding (speaker of the house, ESHS, Festival man) but other members shouldn’t seek out what suits their beliefs! REALLY!!!!
You guys are really one sided! If it’s good for the goose it’s damn best for the gander!! Get Real please!!
Where was this outcry for integrity and ethics when myron did not and still hasn’t apologized for he recent breaches in goverment, Setta Two faced people.
PVIM is NDP with a different name. You will still get the same $hit either way so go VIP
I doubt that. The bullies will be gone.
So the executive election was r—- by this guy and others for him and the President to get their seats and because their whole leadership scheme backfired now they’re the most ethical persons? Am I reading correctly? Can someone please help? Please?
I have read the articles, the blogs and even listened to persons throughout various communities. Yes, we will all have our favorites but collectively I have not seen one of the proposed parties provide a complete slate of candidates that can properly charter the way forward. Each proposed party may have a few good men or women but not even enough to fill all of the required cabinet seats.
We might as well put all the supposed names in a pool and the public chooses the more suitable 13, as the with the current party pool NONE has enough to even get 5 elected.
The NDP Government could have and would have done well by these Virgin Islands if it weren’t for the foolish, petty, selfish infighting among the elected members. We had an opportunity after the storm to turn a new page but by then we had factions already jockeying for positions so nothing could move forward as there was no unity within the group. Now one set has pulled away and trying to start a party from scratch, filling it with some of the same people they once had issues with and all should be well. It would be funny if not so sad. The question is if people can walk away so easily, what happens when the new group does something that they do not like, they will move again? and again? and again? Every time something doesn’t go their way they move on to a next?
All of them sailing on them Ego trips , Robert nesta Marley words, whether VIP OR NDP !!!!!
@karma, sooooo true. They are all scurrying like the bunch of cowards that they are. Let them laugh, let them plot, in the end, they will trip themselves up. I say, the blind leading the blind. And T*******, you are a looser just like your brother. None of you will do well in the polls.
Mr. Turnbull,
You lot ought to be ashamed of yourself for trying to mislead the people so. Your crew formed a plot to take out Doc and seat Ronnie. It backfired and now you come out deceiving the public.
Tell me, who is going to trust you after this?
so most likely the brother leaving soon too
Let him leave to go plant corn and cotton with his cowardly I can’t stand on my own two feet RAT brother. A woman has more BA**S than he does.
So far, the featherweights are leaving and the heavyweights are staying put.
A natural cleansing of sorts.
I like it .
The chaplain leaving soon too
Hey Mr.T. you prove what a weak coward you are. You nor your brother was built for politics, nor will you do well come election day.
It appeared that the NDP bloggers are well at work, so happy that blogs don’t materialize to votes.
Virgin Islands Voters pay attention. You complain about the main two parties and how the members disregard the necessary principals for accomplishing unified goals for the territory. It takes courage and commitment to make decisions, have conversations and stand up to those giants in either party who have the controlling voices.
We need to stop scrutinizing from the sidelines for the sole purpose of tearing each political hopeful apart and start looking at their individual strengths; we have to continue to speak about the things that need to be addressed and offer suggestions in an effort to impact solutions.
Vote your voice for a unified improved BVI. Some would hope we don’t vote so that others can, but everybody should vote. Voters need to hold their own rallies and invite political hopefuls to listen to their struggles, ideas, solutions. We don’t need music and food for a night. We need better labour structure, real estate control, roads, food, health, social and education services that will empower and protect Virgin Islanders for the present and future.
People need hope. It would seem as if some would like to completely phase out Virgin Islands’ heritage with their global ambitions and greed to be the biggest fish in our pond. Do not give up, nor become weary. Rally around those who have become courageous enough to put themselves in the public’s service as political hopefuls; engage them with conversations about your concerns for this territory so that they can focus on finding solutions instead of trying to seduce us with short-term, individual fantasies.
Dr.Mike, when they go low, you go high. Stand strong my brother.
Dr smith have his letter to but hesitate since he’s trying to enjoy his last political moments.
How can he go high when he was part of the nastiness to unseat Dr Smith and now that the pressure has hit them he is pretending to be the victim? Don’t worry the truth will come out!