Penn: I Can Lead NDP to Victory
Opposition Leader Marlon Penn says the National Democratic Party is ready to govern and rejects claims of internal disarray. Penn told Talking Points he has the experience and team-focused approach needed to reunite the party and reconnect with voters ahead of the next election, due by 2027.
Opposition Leader Marlon Penn has rejected suggestions that the National Democratic Party (NDP) is in disarray, insisting he has the capacity and resolve to lead the party back into government. Speaking on the Talking Points radio programme, Penn was asked directly whether the NDP was ready to govern. "Yes, we are.
We’ve been ready," he answered, adding emphatically that he could say so "with a straight face." He told host Damion Grange he was "dead serious," saying the party has the knowledge and capacity "to get the things done." The NDP has faced public scrutiny in recent years after defections and questions about leadership cohesion, with critics saying internal divisions diminished its electoral prospects.
During the interview, Grange referenced talk of "a fight for leadership within the party" and perceptions that the opposition appears fragmented. Penn acknowledged the party will follow its internal procedures on leadership but insisted ultimate authority rests with party delegates. "I am currently [leader] and that’s up to the delegates of the party. [Like] every organisation, we have a process… and once that process is executed, the will of the people will be respected," he said.
He also rejected portrayals of his politics as driven by personal ambition. Penn recalled receiving an invitation on election night after the last poll to join the government as deputy premier, saying that offer showed his stance was not about seeking power. "For me, it’s never been about power," he said.
On strategy, Penn said he is confident he can lead the NDP to victory and described a leadership style rooted in teamwork and collective decision-making. "By putting together a team of men and women who understand that it’s about country, not self… Once we decide on a path that we’re going to go, we move on that path collectively," he added.
As part of rebuilding, Penn said the party is returning to grassroots engagement, holding district meetings and community discussions to reconnect with voters and gather views on a way forward. For residents of the British Virgin Islands, the state of the main opposition matters for how key issues will be debated in the House, how the government is held to account, and how voters will evaluate options ahead of the next general election, which is constitutionally due by 2027.
Penn’s remarks signal the NDP’s effort to present a united, community-focused platform in the run-up to that contest.
Primary source: BVI News