Walwyn’s top priorities if he became Premier
If he were to lead the Virgin Islands as Premier, Opposition Leader Myron Walwyn says his first priority would be to stabilise and grow the economy, insisting that without a clear economic plan, the territory cannot properly fund education, healthcare, or social services.
Walwyn made the statements during an interview with political commentator Cindy Rosan, who asked what his top priorities would be if he were to assume the territory’s top political office.
In response, the Opposition Leader said: “Anybody who holds that position (Premier), your first thought has to be to improve the quality of life for the people of the country, and you do that by making sure the main things that drive the economy of the country are there so you can provide social services and those things for people.”
He added: “The economy of the country is flat on its back. The Public Finance Management Act mandates that you have an economic plan for the country, yet we don’t have one. It also calls for an economic council, which again does not exist.”
Walwyn stressed that tourism, agriculture, and fisheries must all be repositioned to strengthen the territory’s long-term economic footing. He argued that the BVI has become overly dependent on cruise ship arrivals while missing opportunities in the overnight market that drive higher spending.
“We have to look at tourism and try to improve our overnight stays. We’re just rattling off cruise numbers without knowing the dollar distribution across the territory,” he said, warning that regional competitors like St. Thomas are outpacing the BVI with new hotel investments.
Walwyn also called for a serious push into agriculture, both to reduce the import bill and to improve residents’ health outcomes.
“We have a country with 35,000 people, two main economic pillars. Most countries only have one. We have the ability to improve our fishing and agriculture industries, and there are a lot of low-hanging fruits in our tourism industry,” he added.
Fit for Premier, or not?
Walwyn’s sharp critique of government management and his detailed prescriptions for recovery have won him admirers who believe he is ready to assume the territory’s top job.
But not all Virgin Islanders are convinced. He remains a polarising figure, with some sections of the public questioning whether he should ever hold the office of Premier because he is not considered an “indigenous Virgin Islander.”
Radio commentator Claude Skelton Cline has argued that the highest political positions should be reserved for leaders with deeper generational roots in the territory.
However, Walwyn has pushed back strongly against that view, calling the lineage argument divisive and outdated. He insists that unity and competence should determine leadership, not ancestry.
Still, the debate lingers in some quarters, underscoring the challenges he would face in seeking the premiership.
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When I look in the current House of Assembly and I evaluate each member Myron come out to me as the best choice right now for the Premier. He has a good understanding of the problems and he has provided solutions as well. He could represent us anywhere without have to be feeling for words like some of the others, his level of preparation during debates is very good and some of the people that worked with him when he was minister said that he was worker. He would work you to death but you produced at the end of it. I would support him.
they all provide solutions before elected.. the question is.. will they put it into action once elected? Seems like you still don’t understand politics.. they tell you what you want to hear to get into power. Once elected it all goes on the back burner. MW sounds good but tell us why you would do the work.. what makes you different from all the previous ?
All of them needs to go. Every last one! Good words but incompetent in running Government.
…and a questionable track record with the law>
He is the best one for the job period. Those who know it using his ancestry to eliminate him. Myron was born and raised here so I don’t know what their problem is
This is the power hungry grab of this guy. You never heard Skelton say he wanted to be Premier. Just like you never heard MJ say he was the greatest, unlike LeBron who keeps trying to convince people that he is the greatest! Walwyn wants to be Premier at all costs, he isn’t interested in serving this country in any other capacity. That is very dangerous!
These kind of presumptive questions should be shun by anyone who respect the rights of the people in a democracy. Its the people’s interest that matters not your power hungry ambitions.
But walwyn never told anyone he wants to be premiere, it is his academic acumen and people’s person skill that stir the public into seeing him as premiere, it is something that projects from your personality that people like, and for the last time he is a BVI islander unlike been a Puerto Rican as our current premiere Wheatley.
I had a problem like that once, working as a linesman I outshined the supervisor and the engineer even felt threatened, that it created a competitive and war like atmosphere on the job, and the supervisor having the pen to sign my upward mobility in the company did make certain that he kept me down , I leaved, and my name still rings in that company as the best they have ever seen, I brought new ideas to that company that they work with as standards to this day, and about the supervisor he attains the age of pension and is on his way out, one of my subordinates I trained has taken over, and the word is that supervisor has contributed nothing to build that company, but felt entitled to the position. When someone have something to offer give them a chance because it could help build upon your future posterity.myron will make an impact in BVI history, there is competitive politics between the Wheatley brothers perceiving themselves as liberator of the BVI that is creating this balkanization of the BVI people into thinking generational or ethnicity. Such acrimonious relationship has no place among a small population of 30000 people.the country infrastructure won’t build in that atmosphere. Peace and love.
You leaved????
I “leaved” !???
Illiteracy was your
hidrance,evidently!!!
Please put a sock in it and stop insulting people’s intelligence!!
Sounds like he sees what needs to be done and knows we could only get that progression from Premiership.
I will voucher for Myron. He has my fullest support . When he was Minister he introduced a lot of new initiatives and you can see he worked hard. Besides excuses like the wall and his parents not from here they have nothing else negative to say about him. All the twelve others can not walk in his shoes.
JJUDGE WIGGIE , WE KNOW ITS YOU AGAIN WITH YOUR USUAL JEALOUSY & HATRED FOR WALWYN BUT JOKERS LIKE YOU CANNOT KEEP A GOOD MAN DOWN / YOU WANT TO BE PREMIER BUT YOU WILL HAVE TO BEAT THE EMPEROR FIRST , ( NOT WALWYN ) AND IT PAINS YOU TO KNOW THAT • *JUDAS* GO BACK IN YOUR CAVE AND TAKE VINNIE WITH YOU •
It’s not Cindy she supports Myron so just stop while you ahead I say again her hair is real
After he stood in the HOA and said he cannot support nor defend the people of the BVI!
Who can defend ignorance?
Both Myron and Mather have a huge problem: the VIP will paint then as outsiders – yeah politics is rough. Mark and Lorna were the exception- both married natives though!
@Political Problem
Nope your a$$umption is wrong. If that were the case both would not have won so clearly and decisively. So go check the tally from the last election and let that marinate in your chrome dome some. It could be the heat and mosquitos contributing to your lack of clarity.
BTW – Natalie wife from where and he was born where? You used sanitary products just don’t stop chat sh!te eh! Simps….
Mather wife from rite here – Natalie own from why again?!?! …
Anyone gotta be better than the party and traveling premier we have now.
In order to be an effective Premier/Leader you need to be a team player and be able to motivate and elevate those around you. You cannot lead if you do not have a team. Who is the Alliance? Most of us like Myron and he has proven to be very effective when he was Minister although I didn’t always agree with him. But can one man run the BVI? He has said himself he is willing to ‘sing alone’ whatever the hell that means? This is his problem, he thinks because ‘he’ is smart and that ‘he’ can get certain things done then ‘he’ can be the leader. It does not work this way in the real world hence he finds himself in a very bad spot trying to start a new party with candidates that are far worse than the VIP Government. This is the reality regardless of who you support.
Nope!
I think the best one for the job would be one already experienced in the civil service and who knows how to get it to work and deliver. Listening to Walwyn, he can talk around ppl who can’t think quickly but does he have the global understandings to succeed…I have my doubts. I know many believe everything he says is golden but it’s not always. However he has no team, there is no I in team and that is his weakness.
Just like Andrew ruthlessly moved aside everyone who came into his way of being Premier.
If he can be elected by the people to represent them in district. Hmm. pick sense out of nonsense. some of his pass utterances might have did him in and caused trust issues but he can talk a good talk like any politician would. if he is ever elected/chosen to be the Premier he is not above the law of the land. He must follow the rules or get removed. cast your voted come election time as that is the only chance all have to become Premier in the wurgin Eilants.
One of the problems is that none of our political parties are beholden to any kind of political-economic philosophy.
We don’t have a Liberal Party, a Labour Party, or a Conservative Party
The existing parties are what’s-in-it-for-me groupings of individuals, with the societal benefits espoused being for the party’s followers.
Myron is more QUALIFIED than all ah dem, but I wish he should just leave dem alone because even when he lost he seat, ayo still blame he for everything, ayo keep saying, oh!!he ain’t born here!! But ayo ain’t see the rest active politicians who ain’t born here, only Myron ayo see!!
His alliance party needs 7 or more seats and if he is lucky, they might win only 2 seats.
You don’t know what or who they have, stop presuming
Next we will have a Caucasian who born here saying the same thing
loading as we speak!!!
Every want love Premier says the same thing and when they get there it’s a different thing, saying one thing and exactly getting it done it something different.
None of these guys get it, he’s no exception. Solutions so basic and macro-level you’d think they were outsiders. But they are not, they are in the system and still can’t give detailed solutions.
Grow the economy… really? How novel.
An economy grows through productivity. He made no mention of inefficient trade licence and work permit process among other bureaucratic issues.
Mentioned overnight visitors yet no mention of WE ferry and the tender process.
What about the pension fund? Why hasn’t that been set up? Legislations been in place for years. Paying pensions from recurring expenditure is asinine.
Economic pillars? What changes have been made to FS industry since its inception? Incorporations slowing but it’s alright… we’ll continue giggling all the way to the guillotine.
What about this could people possibly dislike?
He will not be premier the locals will never go for an island man being premier
Really? Stop being a F hypocrite. What about the locals that is married to the Island Women? Do you want me to open up a can of whop A.. or hot worms on your A today for spitting a bunch of BS?
The local men that are married to updeislun females publicly demonstrates an embarrassment that is humiliating especially if she is a Dingo.We all can identify Barack Obama’s wife but who among us can identify Sowande’s.
Tis lately I heard he is married and nobody I have queried so far,knows her/him name.
You are one of the dirty parasites that is walking around the BVI that needs to be exterminated like the dirty sewer rats that is living in the unkept sewers. Here talking nonsense. You were not born in the BVI, MYRON WAS. How much you want to bet, Myron will be the next Premier. Take a page out of Luce book, did she not try about two or three before she won her seat?
let this mean lead us and plz dont forger sex offender listttt
Vote VIP in for another 4 years and hopefully we would be driving on dirt roads by then as their current crop is utterly useless.
Failing infrastructure, no inward-investments, just parties and panties galore! Sprinkled in with some Friends N Family perks/benefits! Viola – BVI 4th world here we come!!
He has to bring on his new Alliance Party and win 7 seats because no one in their right minds would join with him to form a Government because he has a big knife in his back pocket and not afraid to use it to get you out of the way.
He is two faced. He said Hon. Skelton broke up the NDP. I wonder who broke up PVIM, and from the outside. In fact he broke up NDP too because it was only two of them and for self serving reasons. If it quacks and waddles like a duck, well it most likely is a duck. Can he be trusted?
No need to list your top priorities. You being Premier of my British Virgin islands will NEVER happen.
Some children never learn. The longer they stay in school, the more they are taught, the dumber they come out.
What people don’t realize is that the very so-called indigenous people is who have the country how it is now
@To Pat:
Mr. Walwyn is a native born Virgin Islander.
You are one of those who post deliberate devisive dogma in an effort to keep Black people divided and fighting a regionalself imposed war.
Your efforts are clear, but Black people are waking up seeing people like for who thet are and will eventually will not be misled.
Who is more devisive than Myron Walwyn? He wants what he wants and is totally tunnel vision in his pursuits. He left NDP, walked across snatched two from the three there and formed a new Alliance, not a party, waiting for the other two to come to the table to beg him for now he has majority. All orchestrated. This big talk two years out from election on whether he should be Premier or not is all orchestrated and self serving. And they call Hon. Skelton entitled. He is acting so desperate it’s like somebody died and left that seat for him. I can see him now in his mirror in the mornings, “I am the next Premier of the Virgin Islands.” He better be glad mirrors don’t talk back like in Snow White.
This article and responses,in order be valid of sensiblity would first need to define the legal definition of BVIslander”. For starters,Cows, dogs and cats that are born in the BVI,are not legally classified as
BVIslanders.
Who ever becomes the next Premier I hope has a clear vision on how to improve the lives of the people here. Everyday I see people in bad moods and I want to one day see that change. I have no say and who should be premier nor would I want a say I just want the best for the people of the BVI…
Neither Myron Nor Natalio will be Premier of BVI
Come Next Election, 2027.