Penn: Honoured to Serve Constitution Team
Opposition Leader Hon Penn joined the Virgin Islands Constitutional Negotiating Team for a second public engagement in Virgin Gorda on May 26, 2026, ahead of formal talks with the United Kingdom. He said the 2007 Constitution was a milestone and stressed that the forthcoming negotiations are rooted in the lived realities and future ambitions of the Virgin Islands people.
Opposition Leader Hon Penn joined other members of the Virgin Islands Constitutional Negotiating Team for the second public engagement held in Virgin Gorda on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, as the territory prepares for formal negotiations with the United Kingdom. Speaking to residents, Hon Penn described the 2007 Constitution Order as a major step in the Virgin Islands’ journey toward self-governance. "That document reflected the hopes, identity, and ambitions of our people.
It was more than a legal framework; it was a statement of who we are and who we aspire to be," he said, noting that nearly two decades after 2007 those aspirations remain live expectations of the community. Penn said the Virgin Islands has demonstrated capacity and resilience whenever given the space to lead and shape its own path.
He pointed to tangible gains since 2007 — expanded access to education, strengthened infrastructure, a more resilient economy and the growth of global industries such as financial services and tourism. "These achievements were not handed to us; they were built by the vision, determination and ingenuity of our people," he added.
The Opposition Leader emphasised that the negotiating team's positions are grounded in everyday realities and long-term ambitions. "The positions put forth by the negotiating team are not abstract proposals. They are rooted in the lived realities and future ambitions of a Virgin Islands people," Penn said, framing the talks as a continuation of a journey that predates the 2007 Order and a bid to ensure the constitutional framework keeps pace with development.
Hon Penn said he was honoured to serve on the team representing the Eighth District and, by extension, the wider Virgin Islands community in his role as Leader of the Opposition. He highlighted that the negotiating team includes members from across the political spectrum and pledged to engage the UK with "clarity, purpose, respect, and also with confidence.
Confidence in who we are, confidence in what we achieved and confidence in what we are becoming." Describing the negotiations as centred on empowerment, accountability and the future direction of the territory, Penn urged unity, focus and resolve from residents. "I approach this process with optimism," he said, adding that principled dialogue can produce outcomes that honour the past while positioning the Virgin Islands for a stronger, more self-determined future.
The public engagement in Virgin Gorda is part of a territory-wide consultation process to shape the negotiating mandate ahead of discussions with the UK; residents are being encouraged to follow updates and take part in consultations as they are announced. According to Virgin Islands News Online, the team will carry community input forward into talks with the UK.
Primary source: VINO