UK reassures commitment to support BVI recovery

Notwithstanding what could be described as a witchhunt from Britain on its Overseas Territories (OTs), the United Kingdom has expressed continued support to the recovery of its OTs that were affected by the September 2017 disasters.

Policy Fellow at the University of Cambridge and former BVI/UK representative Benito Wheatley confirmed this following his courtesy visit to Director of the OT Directorate at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Ben Merrick.

“It is welcome that the UK government remains committed to the recovery of the Caribbean OTs, including the BVI as the hardest hit among the islands, and is keen to support the Overseas Territories more generally in building climate resilience and seizing opportunities in international trade,” Wheatley said in a media release to report on his visit.

“The renewed commitment by the UK to assist the OTs across UK government departments was a positive signal,” he added.

While noting the UK’s 2012 ‘White Paper’ which sets out ‘a modern partnership based on mutual responsibilities and mutual respect’ between Britain and its OT’s, Wheatley commended what he said was the “ongoing partnership between the UK and OTs in the area of disaster preparedness”..

He further commended the UK’s readiness to meet its obligations to the territories in the event of a disaster.

This latest report that the UK is committed to supporting the BVI comes amid talks by Britain’s UK parliamentarians to cancel its 2023 reprieve and instead force the BVI to implement what are known as public registers of company beneficial ownership three years earlier — by 2020.

The UK also has other plans of imposing their same-sex marriage laws on the BVI and other OTs.