Skelton Cline insists, Premiers should only be indigenous BVIslanders
Political commentator Claude Skelton Cline insisted that only indigenous Virgin Islanders should be eligible to serve as Premier, explaining that this was the reason he could not support Opposition Leader Myron Walwyn for the post.
Speaking on his weekly radio programme Honestly Speaking, Skelton Cline disclosed that Walwyn had sought his support, but he declined on a matter of principle.
“I said, honourable, on this occasion, you will not be afforded my support on a basic principle. And it is this. I believe that there are certain posts in this country that needs to be specifically designated for indigenous BVIslanders. And chief among those is premiership,” he explained.
He added that while Walwyn was a competent and capable leader, his stance was about safeguarding the future of Virgin Islanders by blood.
“It has nothing to do with you, honourable, because you and I basically have already lived our lives. I am thinking in 2050, what do I want these Virgin Islands to look like at the turn of the next century?” Skelton Cline stated.
Skelton Cline argued that the office of Premier should be enshrined in law as reserved for those who can trace their ancestry to at least one Virgin Islands parent.
“Two is great, but at least one,” he said.
Senior public serice roles acceptable
By contrast, he noted that other senior public service roles, such as heads of departments in customs, immigration and police, could be open to Virgin Islanders whether “by blood or by soil”.
He criticised the notion that children of non-indigenous parents should enjoy the same rights as those with ancestral roots in the Virgin Islands.
“You cannot tell me that someone from Nigeria, someone from Jamaica, someone from Spain, someone from the UK can come, someone from the Philippines can come, someone from Tahiti can come, born their children here, go through the school here, and that offspring has the same rights and privileges as those who have ancestry,” he argued.
Walwyn recently disputed Skelton Cline’s position that only individuals with deep ancestral roots in the Virgin Islands should hold high office, arguing that lineage alone cannot solve the territory’s challenges or restore it to former glory.
“You hear some people now on the radio — there’s a gentleman with a show called ‘Dishonestly Speaking’ — talking about leadership and who should and shouldn’t lead because of lineage. Lineage could go to the bank? As a people, could you go to the bank and cash lineage?” Walwyn asked in the House of Assembly.
“Ancestry always cashes, my brother”
Skelton Cline, however, insisted that ancestry remains central to political legitimacy. “You and I have a different position about ancestry. You don’t believe it can cash. I believe it can cash. I believe it cashes very well. Ancestry always cashes, my brother. Ancestry goes to the bank. Ancestry has land. Ancestry is what you use as collateral. Ancestry is what you hand down to your children and your grandchildren,” he argued.
The debate over Walwyn’s suitability has revived long-standing questions about immigration, rights and identity in the territory, with fresh calls being made for constitutional reform to protect indigenous Virgin Islanders in leadership roles.
Skelton Cline said the debate was not personal but rooted in protecting the territory’s future.
“My position is simply not leading the team when it comes to premiership in this country. That’s all,” he stated.
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For once I completely agree with CSC!
Xenophobia is so ingrained in some of you, that you can’t help spewing nonsense. Claude needs to take several seats and refrain from being a separatist. It is so sad to be hearing this from a so-called man of God.
To be indigenous is to have existed in a land from the earliest times or from before the arrival of the colonists. Was this Mr. Skelton-Cline or his people? He should stop this nonsense. It does not look good on him, and it makes him sound uneducated and illogical. We all know why he keeps harping on this. He should let it go! For me I can go back for at least four generations, but still, I cannot call myself an indigenous person. What does an individual being indigenous do more than a 1st generation BVIlander? Let who is qualified to lead, lead. Electing leaders should not be based on how many of their generations were born here. PLEASE STOP THIS!
And I really don’t give a shyt if you think we are xenophobic. Apply any darned label you want. We will protect our inheritance and heritage. Premiers should have at least one parent who is indigenous to these Virgin Islands! It needs to be in the law! No 1st generation Virgin Islander should ever be Premier not even Acting Premier! And we will stand on that! You don’t like it? Find somewhere else to live! Your catchy labels do not scare us!
Someone who is clearly just thinking on the surface. So you would elect an id**t with no leadership ability because one of his parents was born in BVI? Lord please help us! This thought process is exactly why are are where we are today. And, it is a thing of the past.
That is all I can say! I can trace my roots back to at least four generations, but I know in my heart of heart that I am not qualified to lead us out of this mess. I am also not entitled because of it. Let the qualified among us come forward. Just forget the noise of the few.
I agree the premier should be indigenous. But Walwyn born hereeee…BVI.
He saying this because he want his uncle to be Premier. These people are selfish. This whole clan seem to have a problem with people who have family from the Caribbean. I am supporting Myron regardless of what you say.
Wasn’t it an indigenous one who was going to sell us out to the drug cartel? Isn’t it an indigenous one who born in Puerto Rico (LOL) that have the country in the worse shape it has ever been in? CSC, get from here with your xenophobia. We want the best person for the job. If you are born here and can do the job that is who we should have do it.
Why he don’t say that only indigenous people should buy food from his place? A bet he would have to close down the place. Foolish and wicked man.
Which business he own and operate??
I hear them sell it
If you notice this ancestry talk comes from one corner and one family. It points back to the 2019 NDP elections. These people never got over the loss and now coming back with this indegenous story to better position their lazy, non-performing uncle.all about themselves.
If you are being fair, Myron’s side-kick that represents the 2nd District was on the same ancestry bandwagon against him in 2019. Let’s not tell half-stories here. How about someone ask the 2nd Dist Rep if/why his stance has changed about MVW?
Can someone give this man a dictionary.
Or does he mean the Tanio and Arawak people?
Could someone get rid of this nuisance please.
So a man who was born in Puerto Rico and is an American citizen could be Premier but a man born here cannot? Make that make sense to me. Is them or their parents running for election?
Yes because he indigenous!
Like if you all don’t like the rules of our land – it’s easy – GO HOME!
Which country allows person from another country to be Head of State?
You all fight with us is unreal – like this is not what happening in your country!
EVERYONE wants to be a Virgin Islander but it’s in the blood and nothing changes that.
It’s a blood thing! Plain and simple
In the US if you are born there you are from there you are allowed to run for every position inside of the country also if you are born outside you can also run for certain political positions. You clearly haven’t looked outside at other political systems…
What is wrong with that man you are a poor example for a pastor and nowadays some people use the name of God just to be famous and make money that man have educated people in his family can they talk to him and tell him to give it a rest.
Is that the Arawaks?
Taiños
Mister remember that only the pure in heart will enter into the kingdom of God.
@SOOOO only CSC that is what he is trying to say.
You should choose the best person. Not making the decision based on where you are born , what color you are or what church you go to , let alone what family name you have.
Repent and be baptized in Jesus name amen
I’m a Kalinago/Arawak man that born in Tortola to Vincentian perants, we still here, that man need to go sidung
The exact mentality that causes the BVI to linger in the third world infrastructurally.
It’s a difficult concept to grasp bse of foolish pride and natural (indigenous) bias but unfortunately not every leader will necessarily be produced within a Population of 10,000 ppl.
The Great USA with 300+mil, has consistently allowed for all qualified citizens to vie for the top office bse their progressive experience has shown that ppl are capable regardless of their “Ancestry”. That’s bigoted talk and so 19th century.
Headshaking laughable. Just who are they? This has to be among the most uneducated statement ever utterred from a person from the BVI.
Here we are in 2025, soon to be 2026, and yet there are people in these neck of the woods who believe that current day BVI Islanders are somehow “indigenous” to these lands.
Did these people go to school? Have they ever picked up a history book? How is it possible that some people could be so poorly or improperly educated into believing this nonsense?
Some articulate that nonsense openly, and others promote that thinking in their publications clearly agenda driven.
These people need to learn their history, and stop perpetuating falsehoods to gain advantage in some sinister way.
I suspect they wouldn’t, because their purpose in using that language is to create chaos and divison among the populace.
I don’t need to give a history lesson here, but some folks really need to learn their history.
Now it is not customary for me to call out someone by name, but I need to address this so called pastor.
Ever since you landed back here in the BVI from Detroit, you have shown yourself to be nothing more than a chaos agent or confusion maker from my observation.
You caught my attention during your campaign for office. In the beginning, you spoke well and had good ideas, but after your true nature came out.
You called our first local attorney general “an empty kerosene can”, an uncalled for attack. From that moment, you lost me forever because I simply do not support people who go around disrespecting others and creating trouble and division.
The woman you disparaged so publicly is among one of our more accomplished women in the BVI. She worked herself up from the bottom to where you met her and where she is today.
You, CSC, could not then and cannot now walk an inch in her shoes.
This notion that the current Oppositon Leader is not indigenous and as such should not be eligible to become Premier is simply stupid and ridulous.
The man was born in the BVI. Isn’t that good enough for you? Aparently not. Who cares what you think anyway with all the baggage that you are carrying around.
Look, I think reasonable people understand your motivation here, but if I was the Oppositon Leader, I would not want your endorsement anyway because you are divisive and toxic.
Endorcements from divisive and toxic people is not a winning poltical strategy.
If I was a candidate running for office, you would not be on my list of persons to ask for an endorsement unless I want to waste my time, money, effort, and fail at the polls, something you are quite familiar with.
I urge voters to reject this nonsense and vote for whom they believe will be best suited to run the country.
Eechoing the Opposition Leader: You dishonestly speak, and I along with othes don’t value your opinions as you may think.
I understand you have to make a living as those government contracts have drived up, but don’t believe your influence is larger than you think it is despite this forum gives you an audience.
By the way, as an “indigenous” BVI, do you think it was fair and right to other “indigineous” BVI Islanders that you got repetive government contracts, our money, and allegedly failed to do the work?
What ever happened to the the COI inquiry anyway realtive to your contracts? Speak honestly about that the next time you go on the air. Please get us up to speed.
So if Hon. Myron Walwyn has kids that are born here, and they aspire for a position in leadership of BVI government business in the future, then this argument would not apply to them correct? My personal take is that if a person is born here, has all the BVI documents, was raised here, knows the BVI top down, respects and adheres to its laws, shows genuine nation-building behaviour, and they aspire to be the leader of government, that should be that person’s right in the same way that the electorate has the right to accept or reject them at the polls.
I agree that ancestrality should be of utmost importance for the position of Premier, in this land!
Perhaps, his position for leadership, would have been better cemented, with an ancestral spouse!
Perhaps,this time, he may, secure the position!
The people, will decide!
What CSC is saying is a reflection of how him and those associated with him feel about the children of expatriates. His Uncle in HOA said his despicable comments about Myron and Antigua. You are hearing the same xenophobic talk from his nephew now. The BVi has gone way past those people. How in 2025 we could have people who claim to be sensible spewing this level of xenophobic ignorance?
THEN NEXT THING A WHITE BOY WHO BORN HERE WILL BE PREMIER
No outsider {which includes island people} should never/cant be Premier of this country…Bottom line!
Island people? You are so blinded by your prejudices that you overlook the fact that you are on an island yourself.
Stop being a xenophobic ignorant fool. Go and pick up a history book and learn something. Rather, find a map and locate where Tortola is if you can. I doubt you can, but if you are able to find the tiny dot on the map, check the ocean that surrounds it.
An island is basis geography. Did you attend history class? Or you attended and failed?
So you would call someone like Myron an outsider? Something is wrong with you upstairs you ever you are.
Some of you curse Donald Trump about his racist behaviour but we are doing the same thing here in the BVI with our xenophobia
I heard Claude say that Myron is a good man and he is capable but because his parents are not from here he should not be premier. I hope people are hearing what this man is saying. This is a a pastor discriminating against others. Myron was born here. He has spend more of his life than Claude here and has contributed much more than he has. All this man has does since he has been back from
Detroit is suck the government and create division. We voting Myron. Go kick rocks.
Herr Fraud Kline is a dingy mouthpiece for VIP/NDP and is grafting again. The dinosaurs who spewing this hot steamy pile of RHINO dung are just that – …
Now 1 thing is for certain – JW will NEVER, EVER (like dem fake pastors Ram & Fraud) see the public vote them in.
So comment under all your pseudonyms that fact will not change. Ronnies’ mask has fallen off and we now see his true face like his nephew and the hanger-ons.
THATS EASY , THE 2ND DISTRICT GOT GOT FOOLED AND HAVE SINCE CORRECTED HIS MISTAKE WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER / EXCEPT FOR YOU • WELL ANYWAY, HE IS BREATHING FRESH AIR NOW AND HE IS A FREE MAN AND IS READY TO WORK IN UNITY TOGETHER IN THE INTEREST OF PEOPLE AND THEIR COUNTRY ☆ AND WE ARE VERY SORRY IF IT HURTS YOUR EVIL FEELINGS / HOPEFULLY ONE DAY YOU WILL GET
OVER IT AMEN
I agree with you Claude but it should be at lease be by two generations by either mother or father
You know, I just spent the last 10 minutes trying to research where Premier Wheatley was actually born (yea, probably a pretty silly post, but follow me for a minute). There isn’t a single piece of online evidence stating where he was actually born as if it’s deliberately hidden. Now, this may sound silly but there could be a huge assumption simply because he was the grandson of a previous chief minister and because of his last name, just keep in mind that many many locals considered indigenous are actually born on the USVI side, and I’d be damned if this is a possible case and y’all out here attacking Myron
Natalio resigning then.
We, the BVI people born from the chain of BVI Indigenous ancestry, are Indigenous.
Indigenous is not a term limited to history or bloodline alone. It encompasses both the original people of the land and their living descendants. What defines indigeneity is not only ancestry but also an ongoing identity across generations, rooted in a living relationship with culture, language, spirituality, and community belonging. It is sustained through historical ties to the land, whether our people continue to live upon it or reside elsewhere.
Because of this enduring identity, there must be special rights that set Indigenous peoples apart from others of different origins. These rights are not privileges but inherent entitlements—recognition of our status as the custodians of the land, and carriers of knowledge and traditions that predate modern states. They include the right to self-determination, land stewardship, cultural preservation, and protection from assimilation or erasure.
To be Indigenous is to stand in continuity with our ancestors and to safeguard the inheritance of our descendants. It is both a legacy and a living responsibility.