Vanterpool: Anegada, JVD Deserve HoA Reps
Former legislator Mark H. Vanterpool says Anegada and Jost van Dyke should each have their own district representative in the House of Assembly rather than expanding At-Large seats. He argues island boundaries already exist and this change should be raised during constitutional negotiations with the United Kingdom.
Former legislator and businessman Mark H. Vanterpool has renewed calls for dedicated House of Assembly representation for Anegada and Jost van Dyke, saying a boundaries commission is not necessary because the islands already have clear geographic limits. In a Facebook video posted on July 14, 2026, Vanterpool proposed creating one district representative for each island instead of increasing the number of At-Large seats in the House of Assembly.
Vanterpool urged that the idea be raised during ongoing constitutional negotiations with the United Kingdom. "I would dare to say that representation for Jost van Dyke and Anegada is about strengthening our democracy by ensuring that every significant island community has a strong and dedicated voice in the House of Assembly," he said, adding that the BVI has changed over the past 20 to 30 years and now requires broader economic diversification beyond Tortola and Virgin Gorda.
Natalio Wheatley told a public engagement session in Jost van Dyke on May 28, 2026, that any change to district boundaries or the number of districts would typically require referral to a Boundaries Commission. "The Constitution will tell you how many districts and how many At-Large and the Constitution will say if you want to redefine your boundaries or add new districts, that has to go to a Boundaries Commission," the Premier said, calling separate representatives for those islands "quite irregular." Vanterpool pushed back on that position, arguing the situation does not involve drawing new lines but rather recognising natural, already existing island boundaries.
He suggested Anegada could be demarcated simply as the Island of Anegada, and that Little Jost van Dyke and Greater Jost van Dyke could together form a Jost van Dyke constituency. "The real question is whether each of these islands should have its own voice in the House of Assembly.
I strongly believe that they should," he said. The idea is not new: political aspirant Julian Willock similarly argued on the June 22, 2026 Talking Points programme that representation should not be strictly tied to population size, and that the sister islands deserve equal parliamentary voice.
The debate touches on broader questions facing BVI residents — how to ensure remote and smaller island communities have effective advocacy for services, infrastructure, disaster recovery and tourism-related development. As constitutional discussions with the UK continue, the proposal will likely prompt legal and political scrutiny over precedent, population-based representation, and the formal role of a Boundaries Commission.
Residents of Anegada and Jost van Dyke, and those concerned with island equity, will be watching for clarification and potential steps to secure dedicated representation.
Primary source: VINO