Skelton-Cline Warns 2026 Will Be Difficult
Radio broadcaster Claude O. Skelton-Cline told listeners on ZBVI 780 AM that 2026 will be a difficult year and that the Territory lacks a clearly articulated plan to meet upcoming challenges. He urged unity among Virgin Islanders, warned against selfishness and power struggles, and said he will continue to address these issues in weekly programmes.
Skelton-Cline used his first show of the year on Tuesday, January 13, 2025, to warn that 2026 could be “a difficult year on multiple fronts” unless the British Virgin Islands develops—and clearly communicates—a plan to meet looming challenges. Speaking on ZBVI 780 AM during a programme titled “Sometimes truth must wound in order to awaken,” Skelton-Cline said he has repeatedly raised concerns throughout 2025 about the absence of a coherent national strategy. “I am concerned that as a country, we don’t have a plan, at least not one that I’ve heard articulated clearly, concretely and concisely,” he told listeners.
Skelton-Cline said that the Territory’s families and communities are exposed to threats that include external forces beyond local control. While he did not list specific risks, he urged residents and leaders to consider how economic pressures, governance challenges and environmental shocks could combine to create strain in the year ahead.
Beyond external risks, Skelton-Cline was emphatic about the internal obstacles he believes are undermining the Territory’s resilience. “My heart weeps that we to date have been unable and or unwilling, and or incapable of pulling ourselves together and seeing ourselves as one,” he said, arguing that selfishness, egos and the pursuit of power among Virgin Islanders are weakening prospects for collective advancement.
The broadcaster said he will continue to use his weekly platform to press these themes, combining prayer with calls for civic responsibility. “I’m going to come here every week as the Lord allows, and speak with you on these subjects. It will not be easy, but I do believe and remain hopeful that we will get through what we are going through,” he said.
Skelton-Cline’s remarks will resonate with residents who have lived through recent years of recovery and uncertainty and who want clearer direction from public institutions. Community leaders, elected officials and civil society groups may view his commentary as a prompt to more clearly articulate contingency plans, improve communication with the public, and prioritise unity ahead of a year he describes as challenging.
The comments were made on ZBVI on January 13, 2025, and reflect an ongoing theme in Skelton-Cline’s broadcasts throughout 2025 asking for greater national cohesion and transparent planning.
Primary source: VINO