Wheatley: Educate Supporters of UK Rule
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley says Virgin Islanders who favour the Commission of Inquiry and direct UK rule must be educated about democracy and national pride. Speaking on the Virgin Islands Voice, he argued local self-government has improved living standards and called for schools and civic education to strengthen confidence in local leadership.
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has urged a targeted effort to educate residents who support the Commission of Inquiry (COI) and direct United Kingdom rule, saying greater civic education and national pride are needed to protect local democracy. Speaking on the Virgin Islands Voice programme, Dr Wheatley said the views of those favouring UK control show there is still "a lot of work to do" to instil a deeper understanding of the territory’s history, the value of self-determination and the role of elected representatives. "We have to educate persons from the schools [about] the importance of democracy and protecting democracy," he said, adding that while not everyone will be persuaded, his goal is for a majority to recognise the benefits of local governance.
The Premier drew a historical parallel to resistance against self-governance in earlier eras, noting that there have always been people who preferred being ruled rather than represented. "When we had slavery, there were persons saying, well, we should continue being enslaved," he said. "There were persons saying, we don’t need to have our own representatives — we should just be ruled by the governor or the commissioner.
You’re always going to have it." Dr Wheatley argued that the progress the Virgin Islands has seen — including improvements in standards of living since the introduction of local representation — is direct evidence of the benefits of self-rule. He pointed to former leaders such as H Lavity Stoutt, Willard Wheatley, Ralph O’Neal and Cyril Romney as examples of how local governance has driven development over the decades. "From the moment we started to have our own representatives, our standard of living just went up," he said.
Those who advocate a return to direct UK rule or welcome the outcomes of the COI often cite deep distrust of local leaders, concerns about accountability, corruption, political victimisation and favouritism, and fears that crime could worsen under continued local administration. The Premier acknowledged these anxieties as real drivers of opinion, but said the remedy should be education, stronger civic pride and continued efforts to improve governance.
Dr Wheatley’s remarks underline a broader challenge for the territory: rebuilding trust in public institutions while reinforcing civic education so that residents understand how democratic processes and local leadership relate to everyday improvements in the Virgin Islands. He said strengthening national pride and teaching the next generation about the value of representation are central to that project.
Primary source: BVI News