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NDP in trouble because ‘key members are out of place’- Skelton-Cline

- said current leadership would rather lose than allow the VI to win
(L-R) Hon Lorna G. Smith, OBE (AL), Mark H. Vanterpool, and Hon Myron V. Walwyn (R6), who host of Honestly Speaking, Pastor Claude O. Skelton-Cline said are National Democratic Party (NDP) members who are out of place. Photo: GIS/File
Pastor Claude O. Skelton-Cline during the September 15, 2026, airing of his show Honestly Speaking on ZBVI 780 AM. Photo: Facebook
Pastor Claude O. Skelton-Cline during the September 15, 2026, airing of his show Honestly Speaking on ZBVI 780 AM. Photo: Facebook
BAUGHERS BAY, Tortola, VI- Host of Honestly Speaking, Pastor Claude O. Skelton-Cline has said one of the reasons the National Democratic Party (NDP) seems to be falling apart is that key members are out of place.

Skelton-Cline said that the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) government is turning out to be the best government of the day, even though they are the most unpopular, “because of the sloppiness, the disunity and the blind ambitions of the opposition”.

Key NDP members out of place

The NDP, he said, is unable to get together. He pointed to NDP members Hon Lorna G. Smith, OBE (AL) serving in the VIP government, former legislator Mark H. Vanterpool leaving the NDP following the party’s April 2026 convention to form his own party, the People’s Leadership Movement and Hon Myron V. Walwyn (R6) who has decided to take a "leave of absence". 

“You know what all three have in common? They are all NDPs, all three of them are NDP…you know what else they have in common? They’re all out of place right now.”

Skelton-Cline said there is no order when things are out of place. 

“And you wonder why there is so much disorder in the NDP, because some of its key members are out of place and hence why they can’t unite.”

Given the circumstances, he said he is unsure if it is possible for the party to be reunited right now. 

NDP’s leadership would rather lose than allow VI to win

With a general election in the near future, Skelton-Cline said it can be seen that the current leadership of the NDP is not bothered by reuniting for the purpose of putting the Virgin Islands (VI) first. 

“You know what the current leadership have said: even though we know that we are not going to win, even though we know we going to lose, we rather lose than allow the country to win… this is in essence what the current NDP leadership is saying. We rather lose than to let the country win.”

19 Responses to “NDP in trouble because ‘key members are out of place’- Skelton-Cline”

  • Xxx (18/09/2026, 15:51) Like (9) Dislike (4) Reply
    No one will follow Marlon but no one wants mark and Myron as premier either
  • huh (18/09/2026, 16:07) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
    Lorna wasn't a key member, how long did she stayed with that party?
  • In God trust me, only (18/09/2026, 16:24) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
    Isn't it time, Mr. Claude Skelton Cline that you stop pretending that you know everything about the few things you knowl about the political riggling waggling of the B.V.I ongoing? Take in some full breath, relax on you porch in a chair, and give you mouth a rest, while sipping a cool glass of water or your prefered drink, not rum though, while enjoy life, as God freely gives, please.
  • loose (18/09/2026, 19:21) Like (3) Dislike (1) Reply
    Clien all over the place but he is correct about this
  • smh (18/09/2026, 20:03) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
    NDP in trouble because no one considers Penn a competent leader. End of story.
  • Cutlass (18/09/2026, 20:32) Like (5) Dislike (2) Reply
    CLARD YOU ALWAYS TALKING FART. UNTIL YOU GO PAY YOUR WORKERS NHI AND SOCIAL SECURITY THEN WE WILL PROBABLY GIVE YOU OUR EARS YOU HAVE MORE WRONG DOING IN YOUR PAST THAN THE PEOPLE YOU ARE CRITISING NOT MUCH PEOPLE WANT TO HEAR YOU ANYMORE
    • god is watching (20/09/2026, 19:56) Like (0) Dislike (1) Reply
      @Cutlass why do people like you have to do that? Bring up someone's personal business in a totally different issue. That is not nice. Would you like if someone did that to you?
  • Watching on (18/09/2026, 20:34) Like (6) Dislike (0) Reply
    So they are key members and the party cannot win without them but you don’t want any of them to lead because you say they are island people. Let the other indigenous ones step up and do what they have to then.
  • Bvi hot mess (18/09/2026, 21:28) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    Vip doing foolery

    Ndp having civil war for 4 yrs now and moving like their workplace is a play ground

    Plm is just one guy with puppets on a string

    Boi we in trouble

    Looks like vip going back in to continue them nonsense for another 4yrs

    Unless we vote in persons outside of the elites circle
    • @Bvi hot mess (20/09/2026, 05:09) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
      Honestly speaking there wasn't any confusing before Mark went back to the NDP. What does he want?
  • hmm (18/09/2026, 21:28) Like (8) Dislike (2) Reply
    Lorna started as an independent.You forget ? Then jump to NDP. The grasshopper genes run high in dat family. Don’t group Myron with them two. He good where he is
  • ndp (19/09/2026, 00:11) Like (0) Dislike (1) Reply
    3 BLIND MICE
  • I wan this wish come thru (19/09/2026, 00:17) Like (0) Dislike (8) Reply
    Ah wan these 3 island-people to lose.
  • son of the soil (19/09/2026, 00:19) Like (1) Dislike (8) Reply
    The BVI created a monster after they allowed these island-people to run
  • guy hill (19/09/2026, 07:07) Like (7) Dislike (0) Reply
    After certain situations you don't feel the same about certain people and situations....Breathe in. Breath out ..move on.
  • Stealth (19/09/2026, 07:18) Like (4) Dislike (3) Reply
    WTF! Ah yu lawd! Watch the Anguillan, Anove Round Rock connection. While Virgin islanders sleep, slumber, tear down each other, behave as crab in a barrel, etc,,others rolled into town an engineer a take over aided by a very liberal immigration and naturalization policy. The whole thing reminds of the boiled frog metaphor, ie, if a frog is placed in warm water and the water is gradually heated up, the frog gets comfortable, not paying attention and will eventually die, boil to death, making a good “ mountain chicken “ meal. On the other hand, if a frog is placed in hot water, it will jump out, surviving, responding to the danger. Boil frog behavior results in a community avoiding, not paying attention to actions taking place in a community. Eventually, those avoided actions come to bite it in the ass. The consequences of the lazy, inaction, etc , are so much and so integrated into the community that reversing them are challenging, sometime impossible,,etc. Checkmate. The Anguillian connection ah yu lawd is missing a member in the picture, ie, Stacy Matha aka Buddha. A Richardson subtract. Premier Cora Richardson-Hodge transitioned from the USVI, becoming Premier of Anguilla. She is doing well it seems from a far. When will Virgin Islanders return to the BVI and do the same? Ah, they too busy wid dem badmindness,,crab in barrel behavior, liking the above Round Rock mentality, dependency, etc. Forget. Add Dr. Dear to the list.Ah yu lawd, a term of endearment yes.
    • Ayu Lawd (19/09/2026, 08:59) Like (2) Dislike (2) Reply
      @Stealth, ah hu yu, yu Anguillan or subtract? Wah yu bout ayu lawd? You know about The Road?
  • … (19/09/2026, 08:32) Like (3) Dislike (7) Reply
    Two from Angulla one from Antigua no island man should be my premier
  • Seventh District (20/09/2026, 20:10) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    @...SMH !! Look at the mess your VIRGIN ISLANDS Premier has made? Money gone missing all over and not accountability! Leave Myron alone! And yes! I'm a BVIslansder !!


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