Skelton-Cline Urges Pursuit Of Full Independence
Local commentator Claude Skelton-Cline has renewed his call for the British Virgin Islands to pursue complete political independence from the United Kingdom. Speaking on his radio show, he argued that self-determination is neither radical nor out of reach, noting that the territory achieved economic independence decades ago. He urged Virgin Islanders to cast aside fear and follow the path of sovereign regional neighbours.
Local talk show host and commentator Claude Skelton-Cline has once again pushed for the British Virgin Islands to pursue complete and full political independence, arguing that the step is neither radical nor beyond the territory's capacity. Speaking during his regular broadcast on ZBVI 780 AM, Skelton-Cline expressed frustration over what he described as a persistent reluctance among residents to openly discuss sovereignty.
He contended that the Virgin Islands had already established its economic self-reliance back in 1977, when the territory presented and balanced its first independent budget, 27 years after the restoration of the local Legislative Council. According to Skelton-Cline, the primary barrier to full self-determination remains psychological.
He asserted that Virgin Islanders have been subjected to an avalanche of miseducation and an engineered sense of inferiority. He challenged the ongoing reliance on colonial structures, arguing that modern descriptions such as Overseas Territories and UK-VI Partnerships merely rebrand and sanitise colonial ties rather than addressing the core issue of governance and autonomy.
Placing the territory within a broader geopolitical context, Skelton-Cline pointed out that pursuing independence would simply align the Virgin Islands with sovereign Caribbean nations such as Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, and St Kitts and Nevis. He highlighted that the BVI is among only 17 territories worldwide that remain under non-self-governing status.
Skelton-Cline emphasized that seeking self-determination is fundamentally an assertion of a rightful birthright rather than an outlandish ambition. He called on Virgin Islanders to move past internal divisions and instilled fears, urging the community to strengthen local systems and reform areas of weakness through the natural evolution of democracy.
Primary source: VINO