Hon Vanterpool accused of scaremongering
Mr Wheatley is also of the view that any such statement, once it can be substantiated, should only be made by the Premier of the Virgin Islands.
Honourable Vanterpool had said, while “some” would prefer him to be silent, the territory’s freedom is under threat by the United Kingdom, noting that it is important also for those who might not be listening all the time, “who are a bit too busy, to understand and for some of us in leadership positions” to remind them that “more than once and more than twice” the United Kingdom Government had contemplated instituting direct rule over the Virgin Islands (VI) again.
“Which means that they are going right back to what we are here celebrating tonight,” he pointed out, adding that the decision was being made “that if we don’t do, as they say, they were determining that they will come back and directly rule over us. So we will have no more premier of our own, we will be led no more by our own government…the United Kingdom was intending to implement a direct rule.”
Scaremongering
But, according to Mr Wheatley, he found Hon Vanterpool’s statement to be scaremongering and it reminded him of “time gone by” when members of the same National Democratic Party (NDP) said the British Government was about to come and take over the VI because the record of the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) was “so bad and therefore it was in the interest of the population at the next general election to vote the Virgin Islands Party out and bring in the NDP and that would stave off the British Government coming in and taking over the BVI.”
Mr Wheatley said he used the word scaremongering because he had no real evidence then to substantiate that claim and he doesn’t have any evidence now.
“But yet it was stated prior to the elections and of course the people responded in such a way that they removed the Virgin Islands Party and put in its place the NDP...Now several years later we are being told again that direct rule by the British Government is in the offing and therefore we have to be on our Ps and Qs.”
Mr Wheatley said he doesn’t know who would have authorised and on whose behalf the Member for the Fourth District would have been making such an announcement to the people of the Virgin Islands.
“I don’t know if he has been instructed by the Premier who is the elected head of the Government to make such a statement to the public and what if such a statement caused riotous behavior in the Virgin Islands? Would the member be responsible for that kind of behaviour and whatever resulted from that behaviour?.
“It seems to me that if such a statement is going to be made, then that statement should be made by the Premier himself, not by a Member, not by another Minister, but by the Premier. I think that any Member or any Minister should refrain from any discussions such as that.”
Self-determination or self interest?
Hon Vanterpool has in the past spoken about ‘self determination’ for the Virgin Islands.
Speaking at the Emancipation Service at the Sunday Morning Well in Road Town on August 4, 2013, Hon Vanterpool had spoken of how the Virgin Islands still has to adhere to its “Colonial Masters” and that the territory needed to determine its own political status and cultural and social development without outside influence.
The self determination, which Hon Vanterpool had said he was referring to, “would be our right, as a Virgin Islands people, to decide, our own political status, without outside influence; and freely chart the course, of our economic, cultural and social development over the next 25 years and long into the future spanning many generations to come.”
According to Mr Wheatley, that statement was made when the British Government had decided to “put their foot down” on certain aspects of the Cruise Pier Development Project.
He noted too that Premier Dr The Hon D. Orlando Smith was present at the Sunday Morning Well activity but yet Hon Vanterpool was the one making such a serious statement.
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28 Responses to “Hon Vanterpool accused of scaremongering”
In my opinion, this whole thing about a UK takeover is utter nonsense and a totally irresponsible thing to put forward as fact. Direct rule - strupes!
Please cite FACTS regarding this so called "threat" Mr. Vanterpool. Provide us with dates, names and the context in which the threat was supposedly made. Are you able to do so?
If not, I call complete and utter B--- S---. Many of us ARE IN FACT paying attention. We are also paying attention to LIES and keeping a detailed list. However, this one takes the number 2 spot on my list, closely followed by the info the same minister provided regarding the cost of the cruise ship pier, prior to finally coming (somewhat) clean.
Why don't you just be straight, and come out and tell us that you want the BVI to separate from the UK and align the ourselves with your communist/socialist friends in China and their ONE PARTY (totalitarian) system that they like to pretend is "democratic".
I have no doubt whatsoever that the NDP would love to have a one party system here as well. That's where all this jibber-jabber and scare-mongering about colonialism and UK takeovers is leading us now isn't it?
The premier is his cousin but I doubt that he asks him for free advice although Doug clearly has more knowledge and experience than him. Glover park isn't providing proper counsel for their fees. I think sometimes we are too small minded and only look at things from one angle, if we are upset with our representatives we need to demand better candidates but our corruption spoils us at election time
Those days in England and in BVI have long gone. This narrative now serves only to deflect attention from modern issues such as the country having a high GDP for decades but third world infrastructure and education. So, where any belong era feel limited in opportunities, they should look at their government and leaders and parents and themselves and ask some serious questions about the solutions. Hold them accountable. And don't chase away enterprise and opportunity always just on the basis on someone's nationality or which government gang they follow (it's not like there is much political theory or idealism in the parties so it is odd to call them "political"). all of the dodgy contracts and handouts and freebies may seem great at the time but that is the money that should be helping you kids get through school or train vocationally, the money that might stop our capital smelling like human excrement, that might mean we are being taxed again with nhi.
So if anyone is trying to rule BVI and keep the people back, it's not the UK.
Direct rule is not a good thing for UK but importantly has absolutely nothing to do with slavery and the try to imply it does is the worst kind of disrespect to those who endured here and those who fought for emancipation.