2007 Rift Hurt Talks
Talk show host Claude Skelton Cline says divisions between then-VIP leaders during the 2007 constitutional negotiations in London weakened the Virgin Islands' bargaining position. Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley agreed unity is essential for any future talks while declining to say whether Opposition Leader Myron Walwyn will join the negotiating team.
Talk show host Claude Skelton Cline has revisited the 2007 constitutional negotiations in London, arguing that visible divisions among Virgin Islands leaders at the time limited the territory's ability to secure key reforms. Speaking on the Honestly Speaking programme last week in a discussion with Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley, Skelton Cline singled out tensions between the late Premier Ralph T.
O'Neal and Third District Representative Julian Fraser as a factor that affected the outcome of the talks that produced the current Constitution. Skelton Cline said two specific reforms discussed in 2007 were not secured: removing the governor from Cabinet and placing the public service directly under the premier.
He suggested those changes 'could have been had in 2007' if local leaders had presented a united front. Many residents may be unfamiliar with the detailed history of the 2007 talks, but Skelton Cline noted the issue has resurfaced in public debate as the territory prepares for an upcoming constitutional review.
He argued that internal disagreement provides leverage for the United Kingdom during negotiations, saying 'the United Kingdom is always willing to use any knife that we give them.' Skelton Cline also questioned whether Opposition Leader Myron Walwyn should sit on any future negotiating team, saying he has not seen evidence that Walwyn is 'on the same page with the government.' The comments prompted a call for unity from the Premier.
Dr Wheatley did not directly address the 2007 rift but agreed that history offers a lesson: when delegates go to London it is important that government and opposition present a united position. 'It's important to put politics to the side and do something that would be for not just current generations, but future generations,' he said, adding that members of the Opposition would be included in the delegation while declining to confirm whether Walwyn would be among them.
For BVI residents, the concerns raised underscore why the composition and cohesion of any constitutional negotiating team matter. Questions over the governor's role in Cabinet and the reporting lines for the public service relate directly to local control and accountability. As the territory moves toward another round of constitutional talks, Skelton Cline's comments have refocused attention on the need for clear, united local objectives when engaging with the United Kingdom.
Primary source: BVI News