Opposition alliance rejects ‘betrayal’ accusations from critics
Members of the newly formed opposition Alliance have denied accusations of betrayal, stating that their actions were driven by duty to the public rather than party politics.
Territorial At-Large Representative Stacy Mather addressed claims that he and others betrayed their political party, the Progressive Virgin Islands Movement (PVIM), when they joined the Alliance.
The criticisms came after PVIM chairman Ronnie Skelton announced a merger with the National Democratic Party (NDP) without the support of all PVIM members.
“I do not walk into the House of Assembly thinking about party politics. I think about the people, and I think about the country,” Mather stated.
He said the Alliance formed because of delays and lack of communication from party leaders, despite plans to discuss the merger internally. Mather confirmed he had not resigned from PVIM but said the party’s direction had changed without proper discussion among members.
“It was a directive and a decision made by the chairman,” Mather asserted.
He added that he expressed concerns about the leadership of the parliamentary opposition and wanted the party to become more active and effective.
“I have expressed to him in PVIM meetings that I think that we need to do more as a political unit,” he explained.
Mather also rejected the label of betrayal.
“To say that I have betrayed someone, no, I haven’t,” he declared. “My relationship with Honourable Skelton, though it may be fragmented… I respect him as a person.”
The alliance includes Mather, Melvin ‘Mitch’ Turnbull, and Myron Walwyn, who now serves as Leader of the Opposition. The Alliance says its members will focus on making the opposition more effective in holding the government accountable.
“We are making the necessary steps to represent their needs and go forward,” Turnbull said while referencing residents’ demands for a more visible and united opposition.
The alliance members said their goal is to improve legislative oversight, strengthen the Public Accounts Committee, and possibly introduce Special Select Committees to investigate pressing issues like healthcare, water, and public grants.
“We understand that there is strength in unity… and that’s what we’re trying to portray to the people of the Virgin Islands,” Turnbull said.
The alliance has not yet confirmed if it will become a formal political party ahead of the 2027 general election.
Copyright 2025 BVI News, Media Expressions Limited. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.
Still fighting over the cookie jar YAWN!
Matter got caught up with two power hungry guys, and put his political future at risk!
Mather got the most votes in the election for a reason. People know the man and trust him. Ronnie barely got elected and he has not been effective as leader of the opposition. So Mather who got the most votes should continue to support Ronnie who got the least votes and is the least effective leader of the opposition we ever had? You don’t think if Mather did that it would affect him at the polls? Ronnie is entitled! That is the problem. Think about it.
It won’t be the first time a heavy hitter falls below position 4; take heed.
Hon. Mather I salute you for your stance. Your loyalty should be to the country and its people. If Hon. Skelton was not performing you cannot blindly support him because at the end of the day it is the people who voted for you that will suffer from the lack of progress. The loud mouths supporting Ronnie doing that for their own benefit and they know in their hearts that he is not producing. When Ronnie is in power they get more and more for their clan. Keep your head up and always do the right thing.
I subscribe wholeheartedly, the party mentality has become a cancer. An elected official’ loyalty should be to the people of the Virgin Islands and the peoples loyalty should be to individuals who’ve demonstrated a love and duty to country about self!
Betray? What is Ronnie? Is he a king or something? Is this some kind of cult where you pledge allegiance to a person? Your loyalty is to the people not to Ronnie. If he ain’t cutting it you should not stay under him. People here don’t care about the country. They care about individuals.
The ENTITLED ESTABLISHMENT expect to remain whether or not they are serving the people well. They believe the BVI belongs to them and them alone. The Alliance represents a departure from that and they will do everything possible to destroy them.
Country over party and people loyalty any day. You ain’t performing get out the way. Plain and simple.
If you can not look at the stagnated situation we are facing here at present and see that real change is needed you are truly part of the problem. These guys are trying to bring a solution.
The members of the Entitled establishment are not going to relinquish power. They are pushing 70
Years plus and still expect to be calling all the shots. Ronnie, John Cline, Clyde Lettsome, Kedrick Pickering and others. Watch them and you will see. They will do anything to hold on to that power base. It’s all about them and nobody else.
It seems to many of us that it’s about saving this territory with a level of common sense, proven business leverages and years of experience on how to fix a lot of what’s going on. We don’t have time to be learning again; that went out the door. Strictly experience and know-how. The time is now
What they failed to realize is how young stupid and easily influenced we are as a society. Even the article reads foolishly, referencing them as “The Alliance” rather than members of their respective “parties” who have formed “an” alliance to highlight and push back against the unwillingness of their party leaders to unite.
A move that worked, the two power hungry party leaders united moments (figuratively speaking) after their show of power. Of course, they couldn’t just unite, they had to caste doubt and illude accountability while doing so.
Continue to do the peoples work, I support you guys and the moves you’ve made. Unfortunately, I suspect that those who actually want to see this country move forward are in the minority and these moves may caste shadows of doubt on your political aspirations moving forward if not made VERY STRATEGICALLY!
And you all blame Lorna for crossing the floor not once, but twice? Looking at this play out, can you guys imagine what was really happening behind those doors on election night after the results were confirmed? These guys are that clueless? Instead of unifying they have drifted and splintered further apart but still expect the voters to support them?
I hope gb is being paid well for this defense. They are on every story like a savage repeating the same nonsense.
Lovely to see how many people are not blinded by flawed public perception and the tonality of these articles spoon feeding nonesense to impressionalbe people…kudos to you guys!
You made a huge mistake and blighted your short political career: Myron is a power-hungry man and that is the problem with your Alliance: voters see through him: you should have stayed with Skelton and remained patient.
Stacy this is one of your friends talking to you. We don’t need a thief to admit that he is a thief once we have evidence of their thiefing. You don’t have to agree with the labeling but you should not dismiss the message being given to you. Things have to be done the right way. You should stand with the people and not a person but you chose 1 person over another and look at the fall out. Why not just abstain from taking sides until election time. Why not just focus on how you can help the ppl, from your side of the floor. What that means to me is supporting good legislation but examining and questioning it enough to flush out all scenarios, causes and effects to the people. Fighting against bad legislation and could be corruption. And not being partisan on issues of financial services and tourism. Don’t destroy to rule because then you would be ruling over nothing and not a functioning society. Also understand that you are seem as an expendible by your colleagues so instead of being lead by them just stand with the people. Look at the opposition that you have been part of, look at the in fighting and the choice of those with more experience than you to leave it and work with the government. That tells you what you need to know about your colleagues in the opposition.
Who is more power hungry than Marlon and Ronnie the two biggest Moroccan cobra snakes. Leave Mather the F alone. You grumbling id**ts is always B….ing about change, now that the change has begun you grumbling id**ts is rejecting the change. Pick your F poison and sluck it down in one gulp, burp and drop.
Say whatever you all want but we know for sure that Ronnie is not power hungry.
Another one termer
I AM NOT VOTING FOR NO JUDAS
Mr. Myron Walwyn is a power station of an intellect, learns deeply and quickly, and it is believed he has the best interest of the country at his heart.
This, even though he and his NDP Party at the time frigged teachers out of every thing they worked for, was owed and needed.
Only time will heal those wounds now, while many are still hoping for economic relief.
Says the one who said he was not doing something but told someone else that he would if he was offered. You are a disappointment.
When he was called to the side by those 2 he should have done some research prior to forming the Alliance. Right now Myron is safe and that’s all to say. Let those with ears hear
Mather – as Bob Marley sang: “you can please some of the people some of the time, but not ALL of the people all the time”. Who has more baggage than Marlon, Ronnie and the other players that were in the original NDP that caused the party to implode! The three of you opposition members tried to get Ronnie and Marlon to get off their lazy backsides and move from their comfort zones of doing nothing. That is NOT in both their DNA’s. Both of those guys are completely out of touch with the territory and the people’s cries for accountability and justice for all.
The two Cline’s spew their own propaganda against you three as they fear your collective bargaining powers since it is a direct challenge to their feeding at the government trough. Keep being honest, ethical and fair in all you do. More are with you guys than against!
You got your racist yello site and criticizing this site , yet you won’t keep off it , and an using your collection od fancy names to spew out your duplicitous and dirty mentality by blogging on people you envy / you writing & blogging and blogging to what you write , now you blogging most of the, on this site comments , ( you love to embelish who you like or can gain something from them , and those you don’t like you you flex off your narcissistic mentality knowing them • @ hmmm* you observed the word (alliance) that was used by the writer , sends out a message / it shows whats in mind of the wtiter ) and if you read some of these blogs, you can see the writer’s trademarks , it’s like a fingerprint of the bloggers , simulation and know it’s one and the same .judge WIGGIE the JUDAS using different names to fooL us with his usual deception . It is said on the streets that they would love to se a clash up between * CSC * &
the * WIGGED ONE * to see who is more ○~SLIC~○