VI Needs Leader Like Dame Pereira
Political commentator Claude O. Skelton-Cline says the Virgin Islands needs leadership with the gravitas of former Eastern Caribbean Chief Justice Dame Janice Pereira. Speaking on ZBVI on December 9, 2025, he argued such a figure could better represent the Territory amid its relationship with the United Kingdom.
Veteran broadcaster and commentator Claude O. Skelton-Cline told listeners on ZBVI 780 AM on December 9, 2025, that the Virgin Islands needs “someone like the former Chief Justice Dame Janice Pereira” to lead the Territory. Skelton-Cline, who says he has made the point before, said the call reflects the current dynamics between the Virgin Islands and the United Kingdom and the need for a leader with presence and legal and diplomatic prowess.
Dame Janice Pereira, who served as Chief Justice of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, was appointed to His Majesty King Charles III’s Privy Council in August 2024. Skelton-Cline argued that her record and stature provide the sort of gravitas necessary to represent the Territory effectively on complex constitutional and intergovernmental matters. “We need someone with the presence [and] the prowess to represent this country,” he said during his show, which focused on the theme “What to do about yesterday.” He acknowledged that his comments might offend current elected leaders but said he was speaking about what the country needs rather than attacking individuals.
Skelton-Cline also urged elected officials to be receptive when citizens suggest alternatives or improvements. He said it should be possible for political leaders to respond constructively: either to acknowledge they do not have such a figure in office now or to “encircle ourselves with persons” who possess the virtues, capacity and experience he described.
Those advisers, he said, could inform policies and help shape a path forward. The commentator reiterated that he considers himself an ally of all thirteen elected members of the House of Assembly but remained firm in his belief that the Territory requires leadership endowed with particular authority and international credibility.
His comments come amid ongoing public debate about governance, constitutional arrangements and the Territory’s relationship with the United Kingdom—issues that resonate with many residents. Whether the suggestion to look to figures with judicial or diplomatic stature gains traction among politicians remains to be seen, but Skelton-Cline’s remarks add to the conversation about what qualities BVI residents want in their leaders.
Skelton-Cline framed his remarks as a challenge to elected officials to listen more and to draw on experienced voices when making decisions that affect the Territory’s future.
Primary source: VINO