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No gift of gab but Ronnie is a ‘doer’ — Skelton Cline

Skelton

Political commentator and clergyman Claude Skelton Cline has once again proclaimed the leadership qualities of former Health Minister Ronnie Skelton as a likely prospect for Premier ahead of the upcoming general elections.

General elections are constitutionally due by mid-May and Skelton Cline has been putting forward names for months — including a number of women whom he suggested should play a greater leadership role.

The commentator made the pitch for his uncle, Ronnie Skelton, while contending that current Eighth District Representative Marlon Penn may not be the person to lead the territory in its current ‘climate of crisis and chaos’.

Skelton Cline, while appearing on the Honestly Speaking show said Ronnie Skelton and former Deputy Premier Dr Kendrick Pickering were tried and tested and are steady, familiar hands who have the necessary life experience and wisdom to lead the territory. 

The clergyman explained that his uncle has served as both a Minister of Finance and Deputy Premier and has engendered a level of trustworthiness and credibility. He said this is the reason his name keeps popping up as a suggestion for leader of the territory. 

“Ronnie’s strength is that he’s a doer,” Skelton Cline said. “He’s demonstrated both in his private and professional life to be a good steward.”

“He doesn’t have the gift of articulation, he can’t talk like his nephew – he can’t do that because everybody doesn’t have that gift — everybody has their own. He can’t speak at public speaking like Dr Natalio Wheatley. That’s not his gift,” Skelton Cline said.

Skelton Cline further said the BVI doesn’t need flamboyance and articulation at this moment, but seasoned, familiar, tried and tested hands coupled with some others. 

He dismissed suggestions that both Skelton and Dr Pickering were in leadership before and their records may not stand up to scrutiny.

“In this current climate, that’s what’s being called for. These are not perfect people, we are all flawed. We are all flawed, but we must look at what’s before us,” Skelton Cline said.

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51 Comments

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  1. Give me a break says:

    Here the establishment is again trying to manipulate the voters. Ronnie is his uncle so of course he will sing his praises because he has ruined his relations with the NDP and the VIP. Time for his family to have a Premier. All these people about themselves.
    Ronnie is responsible for the state of NHI, we forget?
    The hospital had an overrun of 40 million, we forget?
    He was the minister of health for 8 years and the incinerator problem still hasn’t been fixed, we forget?
    Any body saw Ronnie after the hurricane helping anyone? We forget?
    Ronnie mash up the NDP because he didn’t win the election, we forget?
    What we need now is a younger, vibrant, articulate producer to take us out of what we are facing. It is time for these older men to take a back seat. They told Ralph O’Neal to go home when he was there age now they are almost 70 years like Ralph was at the time they still hustling between the younger generation to displace them.

    Like 51
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  2. C S see says:

    boi U really trying everything under the sun , hip hip hooooray and we suppose you will make a great deputy premier ,Trump could of used a good gentleman like you, your holiness ?

    Like 20
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  3. lil boys should be seen and not heard says:

    Why ayo dont hurry up and arrest this loud mouth boy?

    Like 21
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  4. Power hungry says:

    The love of power. Nothing more than CSC pushing his uncle so that he could get what he want. He used the NDP. He used the VIP. Now he wants uncle Ronnie and his friend Kedrick in government so he could suck more off the government. I will not be voting for either one of them. The weaving of the minds of voters have begun again.

    Like 24
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  5. Chupes says:

    Well he better find the gift of gab because there is no place in this world for a leader who can’t talk. Listen to Mia Mottley and some of the others then listen to Ronnie. If he is a doer he could do outside government for the benefit of the country as well. He does have to be the Premier or elected to do. Who you all trying to fool again? Not me

    Like 17
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  6. Blunt says:

    I used to respect Ronnie. When I look at him now I see a power hungry, old man who broke up the NDP because he wasn’t elected the leader. That tells me all I need to know about who he is.

    Like 32
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  7. What has he done says:

    Conveniently, it seems, CSC does not list uncle Ronnies achievements as a “doer”, an appelation that can be used for anyone who does anything at all.

  8. @Blunt says:

    But the NDP is not broken and any issues were caused by MVW who was power hungry when Dr Smith stepped down. Called internal elections while RWS was out of the country. Nothing about Skelton has ever been associated with power hungriness. He lost and went off and improved his family businesses. You don’t hear him every minute on the radio or in the news bigging up himself. Stop hating on the man for no reason. He is clearly the best person to run this country now based on experience, trustworthiness, integrity, financial management, knowledge and even native bloodline like it or not.

    Like 9
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  9. i agree says:

    Ronnie Skelton for premier. You can say what you want, but he has always been fiscally responsible and, at one point, led the ministry of finance and minister of health. He will definitely get my vote.

    Like 14
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  10. Rubber Duck says:

    Which party will have the most politicians and their rabble rousers?

    Lets hope its the Balo Party.

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  11. don't forget says:

    regardless of what when you open to understanding life as we grow older then wisdom will stick.
    He should be giveen a chance
    Not one of us is exempted from the pressures and favortism just calm down we will be open to undersatand more of people behaviour and know with a discerning spirit.None of us will be perfect.

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  12. @@Blunt says:

    Shut your untruthful mouth. It was Ronnie and Mitch who caused the split of the NDP because they lost the election to Myron and Marlon. Why we tell so much lies in this place even when the facts are clear for all to see. They rather destroy their own party than live by free and fair elections. Then they went out talking about corruption etc. Didn’t they know about the corruption before the election? The Skelton Cline Party just want to be in power.

    Like 18
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  13. Ok den says:

    Look at the people around the leaders. Eileen Parsons and Ronnie Skelton are best friends. Eileen cannot stand island people and she does not consider their children born here to be BVIslanders. Watch the game and not just the stats. Remember the first time Island people see a $100 bill is when they come here.

    Like 11
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  14. @@Blunt says:

    Native bloodline. This is exactly why they broke up the NDP. Myron was born here but his parents are island people. Set of xenophobic people.

    Like 17
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  15. We would be crazy says:

    I cringed when Kedrick, many years ago, told Mr. Ralph O’Neal to go home if he don’t see he old. Ralph was around the same age of Ronnie and Kedrick at the time. Ronnie should be around 69 years old and kedrick aound 66 years old. They don’t think that they should go home and give the younger generation a chance as well? Ronnie got fired from the people two times already. Why is he coming back for a third time? You cannot convince me that this is about love for country. Sorry. There is a trophy called premiership that he is dying to hang on his wall. CSC obviously wants his uncle in this job and his first cousin Mitch as the lieutenant so he could have his way and do his usual fleecing. It will truly be a Skelton Cline government. BVI people wake the h**l up!

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  16. I cant believe that people are here says:

    debating yet again something Claude Skelton Cline says. Quite frankly, I do not care for his opinion(s). I’m so tired of him already… tired of this merry go round. Enough.

    Like 12
  17. Facts says:

    Yes he went and ran his family business and forgot about the thousands of people who voted for him. So much wrong was taking place in this country and you never heard him on the issues that was destroying this country. Now he wants to come back and ask the same people to vote for him, I think he should stay in his family business because not me again.

    Like 14
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  18. LOL says:

    Why do we keep getting told what CSC says and thinks. he is no more relevant than the avaerage man or woman in the street

    Like 13
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  19. Truth says:

    Nobody held elections when Skelton was out of the country. He lost the internal elections fair and square and ran away, forming his own party. You are not entitled to your own facts. The reality is that BVI people LOVE mediocrity. I don’t even know why Myron would waste his time contesting elections again to represent such hateful ungrateful people.

    Like 8
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  20. Family tree says:

    I would love for someone to put together a data map of the families which run BVI. I would love to see how X is related to Y, and Z is related to X, because because X & Y are married. I think if this was publicly accessible all could see the nepotism and the self-serving nature of contracts, civil service and statutory board appointments. I know that the majority of BVIslanders don’t get to play in this “Game of Thrones”, that there is a core group of families that carve up the meat from themselves. This is an effective cartel and the rich get richer from it every day.

  21. Lol says:

    Hey Buddy, when is our money going back into the Treasury? We don’t much care for your opinion at this time.

    Like 6
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  22. Legend in his own mind says:

    Ronnie is a legend in his own mind. He doesn’t speak eloquently and is extremely arrogant and egotistical. He also helped to get the country to where it is. He needs to just go sit down. We need to save our damn selves instead of looking to others to do it. They have all failed us brothers and sisters.

  23. Puleeeeze says:

    Don’t give this gasbag 2 seconds of attention. He just looking to get into the public pocket again.

  24. Proven waste says:

    Ronnie is also the reason we have those damn noisy scooters riding up and down being a nuisance. We gave him to many chances and he did nothing but enrich himself.

    Like 2
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  25. so says:

    whats wrong with that

  26. no says:

    Myron was an opportunist. Plain and simple

    Like 3
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  27. well says:

    The so called younger generation cant navigate us out of the situation. There should be a good mix but experience must prevail.

  28. @no says:

    That’s what you’re called when you are assertive, intelligent and hardworking. It’s a compliment Myron. You were expected to sit down behind the lazy, non-producing born here politicians.

  29. Inside talk says:

    Ronnie is old and lazy. Even the same people in PVIM complaining about how he expect them to do all the work and he just sit down and come Premier. One of them told me directly. The man lazy and got no ideas.

    Like 3
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  30. Prometheus says:

    That title is firmly reserved for CSC.

  31. Tired says:

    You all don’t know what you want. Too young too old . Make up you all mind cheezzzxxz

  32. Tell says:

    Where Ralph going?

  33. Wow says:

    Look at the new Ralph O’Neal

  34. @ Family Tree says:

    I am of the opinion that the prominent families of these VI should be lauded and given special privileges. They nsmes are in the history logs going back to the 1800’s. Because of them, most of us hungry intruders are no longer b in our countries updeislun selling pencils on the corner, Our birth countries with every natural gift bestowed by Mother Nature,is void of lives worth living cursed and our cannibalistic and barbaric behaviour against each other. Our up de islhn countries are killing fields the worse in the Western hemisphere. BvIslanders are a cut above, They created plenty out of nothjng and share daily with the ungrateful. May they continue to always be Blessed.

    Like 3
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  35. Wise Up says:

    Why do people in BVI have trouble with speaking truth? It is clear who destroyed the NDP and who was seeking power. Ronnie lost the last election so did Myron. Ronnie was one of the founding leaders of the NDP while Myron and others were jumping from party to party. And truth be told, it was the power hungry ones in the NDP that destroyed that party saying that Ronnie would be too tight with the finances of the country. See where it got the party. Ronnie is a steady head who has helped this country. Who was the Minister of Finance who give us the break with PAYE – the first $10,000.00 free? It was Ronnie! Who got the new Hospital project off the ground? It was Ronnie! Who got the Virgin Gorda Medical Clinic going? It was Ronnie! And the list can go on. He may not be perfect as no one is, and he may have made mistakes, but certainly he has a steady hand when it comes to financing. Our country is badly in need of that right now to get us out of the MUCK we are in!

    Like 4
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  36. PUMPKIN says:

    When will this dude get his COMMITTAL PAPERS for BALO?

  37. I will vote for Ronnie. says:

    Two reasons 1/ He is not publicly and openly criticising and disrespecting the Governor and Britain like the rest. He has a good chance of restoring the badly broken and needed relationship between Britain and the BVI. I believe in respectful relationship and diplomacy. Ronnie seems like the right one..

    Like 3
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  38. YOUTH TIME says:

    Turtle Season is OVER, the HARES have IT. Our YOUTHS can’t make half the BLUNDERS these CLOWNS have made.

  39. Arhhhh CSC says:

    This was the same man who said God showed him a Woman being the next Premier… How now can he say that Ronnie is a likely Prospect for Premier? I hope he knows that theres an unseen eye watching him.

  40. The ALOOFS says:

    4 comes to mind ( csc, Ronnie, blondie and the Cuban ) they should form their own party and name it the omnipotent ones ) and it will still be a rat race for who should be the ( BOSS ) ,and that will be an all out war of self destruction , which will make the 3rd district king smile from ear to ear ?

  41. @I will vote for Ronnie says:

    Ronnie who curse the UK and said bridges were meant to be burned? You all have selective memory. You conveniently forget his behaviour during the debate for the RDA. And after being staunchly against it he turned around and accept the chairmanship of it. Pay attention to the actions of people so that you are not fooled.

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  42. @wise up says:

    If you are considered wise then let me stay stupid. What you have just described is a man who believes he is entitled. Think about it so called wise person.

    Like 1
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  43. Q says:

    Where is the woman ?
    We are waiting.
    BARRY SAY YOU WILL HEAR !

  44. My take says:

    You sound very colonized and so does your description of Ronnie seems to make him look. The BVI does not need a passive, UK obedient person right now.

  45. Hmm says:

    Is he saying his uncle is really his auntie?

  46. @LOL says:

    Because it attracts attention to the site. If we all stop reading the articles and posting comments they would not do it anymore.

  47. Stupes says:

    If I remember correctly, Ronnie was not even on island when the election for that party was held. If I am running for something, i must know so that I can campaign on my behalf. The leader of the NDP and his companion broke up the NDP because of hatred.

  48. Cato says:

    What the hell is your point? Who supposed to “like island people”? Island people don’t like them either. What are you really saying? Ronnie is for country and so are the prime ministers of all other countries.

    It’s Ok to repeat what others say, the Antigua prime minister once said “Government jobs in Antigua are for Antiguans?

  49. Jill says:

    A younger generation is in control of government now, and we are complaining bitterly. Why don’t you make some specific suggestions and not just criticize for criticizing sake.

  50. Ginger says:

    You seem to have what we need! Please step forward and lets go

  51. Interesting talks says:

    Please remind us as to what could he have done outside of government just like you and I?

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