Premier Urged To Explain Independence Plans
An editorial in The Friday Sage praised Premier Dr. Natalio Wheatley’s State of the Territory Address and the Territory’s strong tourism recovery, but warned about moves toward independence that the public has not been fully briefed on. The column called for the constitution to remain above partisan politics and urged open dialogue so residents can make informed decisions about the Territory’s future.
An editorial titled "The Friday Sage" responded to Premier Dr. Natalio Wheatley’s recent State of the Territory Address, delivered under the theme "Keep moving forward," praising the Premier’s emphasis on progress while urging greater transparency on constitutional and self-determination issues.
The column placed the Address in historical context, noting that the BVI’s Legislative Council was restored on 20 November 1950 and that the 1967 Constitution followed Mary Macdonald Proudfoot’s 1965 visit and her subsequent report. Proudfoot’s earlier economic projection that the Territory might remain little more than a "bird sanctuary" was recalled and rejected as a misjudgement: the editorial argued the people of the Virgin Islands have repeatedly proven such predictions wrong through sustained progress.
However, the piece warned that the constitution must remain a "sacred cow" and not be allowed to become a tool of partisan politics. It repeated claims that during earlier constitution negotiations in 2007 the Leader of the Opposition, Julian O’Neal, preferred the Governor to deliver a throne speech rather than the State of the Territory Address — a detail offered as evidence of past tensions over how constitutional matters should be presented and debated.
A central concern of the editorial is the Premier’s perceived push for self-determination or independence without full public engagement. It says residents have not been given a clear outline of the costs, obligations and responsibilities that independence would bring, and objects to anyone speaking for the Territory at international fora without an explicit local mandate.
The column referenced 28 April 2022 as an example of events where the Territory felt sidelined and warned that an independent BVI could face similar risks if citizens and institutions are not vigilant. On a positive note, The Friday Sage applauded the Premier for highlighting a tourism boom: visitor arrivals rose from just under one million in 2023 to more than 1.2 million in 2025, driven largely by cruise tourism.
The editorial welcomed the opening of the second tourism summit on Peter Island (10–11 June), and supported the government’s intention to create a ministry focused on tourism, noting the sector supports more than two-thirds of the workforce. Concluding with a call for open conversation, the column urged leaders and residents to remember the warning of history and to "be true" to themselves and to democratic process, repeating the classical counsel: "To thine own self be true." It closed with an appeal for continued public engagement as the Territory charts its future.
Primary source: Guavaberry