Skelton-Cline Warns of NDP Fragmentation
On his ZBVI 780 AM show on July 21, 2026, radio host Skelton-Cline warned that the National Democratic Party (NDP) is more fragmented than in 2019 and challenged the party to produce a clear strategy to win the next election. He praised the April 18 internal election as fair but said unity and vote-management are essential if the NDP hopes to unseat the incumbent Virgin Islands Party.
Radio host Skelton-Cline used his July 21, 2026 broadcast on ZBVI 780 AM to deliver a blunt message to the National Democratic Party (NDP), saying the opposition is “more fragmented now than you were in 2019.” Skelton-Cline said he was informed about an NDP retreat held on Saturday, July 18, where party members “spoke eloquently about the problems in the Virgin Islands” and critiqued the government’s handling of issues.
But he challenged the party to move from diagnosis to a winning plan: “Do you have a strategy to win?” he asked listeners during Tuesday’s Honestly Speaking programme titled ‘Be careful not to hitch your futures on the wrong horse’. The host acknowledged the April 18, 2026 internal election as “fair and square,” naming Hon Marlon A.
Penn (R8) as the legitimate chairman and party leader, but warned that internal legitimacy will not translate into change at the ballot box without a viable electoral strategy. “If you don’t win, you can’t fix none of them things you talking about,” he said, urging the NDP to prioritise results over image.
Skelton-Cline pointed to what he described as ideological and organisational uncertainty among senior party figures, citing Hon Vanterpool, Hon Skelton and Hon Walwyn as examples of leaders whose positions he said were unclear to voters. He also expressed concern that party factions appear poised to field two or three candidates in individual districts, a move he said would risk splitting the opposition vote and handing advantage to the incumbent Virgin Islands Party.
The presenter said some within and outside the party were displeased that he was offering advice publicly, noting, “They’re telling me I’m giving you free advice.” He added that last week would be the final week of free counsel: “After that, whoever wants me has to hire me.” For BVI residents, the criticism underlines a familiar political reality: opposition unity often determines whether promises of change can become government policy.
Skelton-Cline’s call for strategy and vote discipline places renewed focus on how the NDP will organise candidacies and present a coherent alternative to the current administration. The party has yet to publicly outline a response to the host’s comments.
Primary source: VINO