We More Often Elect the Idiots
Commentator Claude Skelton Cline says BVI voters too often choose candidates based on emotion and likability rather than competence, a habit he says has left public services and infrastructure underperforming. Speaking on his Honestly Speaking radio programme, he warned that without a shift in voter behaviour the territory risks repeating past governance failures at the next election.
Commentator Claude Skelton Cline has warned that the British Virgin Islands is trapped in a cycle of electing leaders who fail to deliver because voters prioritise emotion and familiarity over competence. Speaking on his Honestly Speaking radio programme, Skelton Cline said politics in the territory is “an emotional exercise, not primarily an intellectual one,” and argued that this dynamic explains why effective, capable leaders seldom reach office. “As a matter of fact, more often than not, we elect the idiots,” he said.
Skelton Cline said the consequences of that pattern are visible across the territory: poor infrastructure, slow government services and lingering district problems. He pointed to persistent complaints — from damaged roads and unreliable sanitation to community centres that are not functioning — and questioned why voters reward representatives who have not resolved these issues simply because they “make me feel good.” Those observations come amid continuing concerns about administration and oversight in the BVI.
Recent assessments of public administration, including findings in the Commission of Inquiry report, have highlighted delays in service delivery, inefficiencies in project execution and systemic gaps that have spanned multiple administrations. Skelton Cline cited these long-term governance weaknesses as evidence that the electorate’s selection habits have practical consequences for development and daily life.
He also warned that the territory’s brightest and most reflective citizens are often sidelined in elections. “The best among us seldom rise to power,” he said, adding that thinking voters should avoid repeating “yesterday’s missteps.” Skelton Cline urged the public to critically assess candidates’ abilities to manage public resources and to deliver on commitments rather than relying on charisma or familiarity.
While his commentary is pointed, it also carries an implicit call to civic action: voters should demand accountability, examine candidates’ track records, and support processes that strengthen oversight and service delivery. Skelton Cline suggested the BVI may need a fresh slate of leaders to move beyond entrenched problems and to stop “living today in yesterday.” As the territory approaches future elections, his remarks underscore a recurring debate in the BVI about how to balance community ties and personality with demonstrable competence and long-term governance capacity.
Primary source: BVI News