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UK should tell us what is on the other side of this ‘modern partnership’- Hon Stacy R. Mather

From left: Host of the Morning Braff Show on Tola Radio VI on Thursday, February 8, 2024, Floyd Burnett aka ‘Heritage’, Second District Representative and Opposition Member Hon Melvin M. Turnbull, and Deputy Speaker and Opposition Member Hon Stacy R. Mather MBE. Photo: Facebook
United Kingdom (UK) Minister of Overseas Territories, David H. Rutley visited the territory from February 4 - 6, 2024. Photo: Facebook
United Kingdom (UK) Minister of Overseas Territories, David H. Rutley visited the territory from February 4 - 6, 2024. Photo: Facebook
FAT HOGS BAY, Tortola, VI- Deputy Speaker and Opposition Member Hon Stacy R. Mather MBE believes the United Kingdom (UK) has a responsibility to let the people of the [British] Virgin Islands know what is at the other end of this modern partnership that it has been promoting.

Speaking on the Morning Braff Show on Tola Radio VI on Thursday, February 8, 2024, alongside Second District Representative and Opposition Member Hon Melvin M. Turnbull, Hon Mather told host Floyd Burnett aka ‘Heritage’ that he also made that known to United Kingdom (UK) Minister of Overseas Territories, David H. Rutley who visited the territory from February 4 - 6, 2024.

“We had a meeting this week with the foreign minister. It was on Monday and I said in the meeting…you want to get past where we at right now with the CoI and everything, but we need to know where it is we going.

“You telling us check this box, move forward, but what is on the other side? And they said there are things on the other side of this quote-unquote modern partnership, then why can’t you tell us what those things are,” Hon Mather said, adding that Hon Turnbull could back him up on what he said.

Rankin did a ‘bad job’

Hon Mather said he also told Minister Rutley and team that former Governor John J. Rankin did a “bad job” in that he was “ineffective in the job that he did in educating the population and some respects, even the population, when it comes to what was going on with the CoI.”

The Opposition Member said where the politicians are failing to educate the people about the modern partnership, the UK should take up the slack.

“I told the Foreign Minister that if the UK has that modern partnership with us, they laid out some areas that they want to work on us with, and they didn’t speak about education, I added in education….”

After the host stated that the local politicians have failed to enlighten the people properly about this modern partnership with the UK and the UK’s silence also leaves the people in ignorance, Hon Mather suggested that sometimes having the water murky is to the benefit of some people.

32 Responses to “UK should tell us what is on the other side of this ‘modern partnership’- Hon Stacy R. Mather”

  • Day in day out (09/02/2024, 18:56) Like (12) Dislike (6) Reply
    Man we sick ah dis uk shite everyday
  • Arrion (09/02/2024, 18:58) Like (24) Dislike (10) Reply
    When will you realize that there is NO partnership with the U.K.? We are peons to them and they rule because we are an overseas territory under their rule. THERE IS NO PARTNERSHIP! Get it?
  • jack (09/02/2024, 19:12) Like (10) Dislike (8) Reply
    Mather you speaking good
  • GateKeeper (09/02/2024, 19:22) Like (15) Dislike (4) Reply
    Poor planning piss poor performance..Every pilot leaves the airport/airfield with a flight plan. Similar a captain also leaves port with a float plan; bus drivers and train operates do the same. Consequently, the much touted modern partnership should have a plan. A partnership means more than one, ie, UK and VI. The UK must tell the VI what the goal(s) of the modern partnership is. This is essential so that the government and people of the VI know what the plan, destination, is , so that they can develop a GOST (Goals, Objective, Strategies Tactics) plan to execute to meet the objective to approach or get to the destination.

    Or the UK want to withhold the modern partnership plan from the VI, so that they can blame the government for not making the progress the UK thinki they should be making but did not share with it . If by chance the plan is incomplete, it should not have been rolled out..Every Virgin Islander needs to know what destination is and how the VI is going to get to it. UK do the right thing. No game……
    • fed up voter (09/02/2024, 21:42) Like (12) Dislike (1) Reply
      Our elected politicians have been up and down discussing this and that and agreeing to all manner of stuff on our behalf and not telling us. With regards to the COI they agreed to a plan without discussing with the people all the Civiil Service. They then set about to not assign the resource and not keep the population not the opposition informed because deep down their plan was to not be accountable and then cry colonialism when their feet get held to the fire. The UK is to blame as well as clearly our local government is incompetent and inept and someone needed to step up.
    • @GK (11/02/2024, 09:55) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
      @GK, you are the guard on duty, keeping things real, grounded, bringing the receipts. You must be come from above Round Rock, for……..I will leave that.
  • n (09/02/2024, 21:53) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    Good governance, protection for the people, no more corruption. Ask Aladdin, maybe he has the answer. The politicians have no answer.
  • Ayo Caan See (09/02/2024, 22:51) Like (1) Dislike (5) Reply
    The same thing happening in Gaza is happening here.
  • True (10/02/2024, ) Like (8) Dislike (1) Reply
    How about the tens of millions of UK taxpayers money spent post Irma.
  • Plain (10/02/2024, 03:04) Like (6) Dislike (1) Reply
    Hear what they say and watch what they do. The truth is in plain sight. Spies, puppeteers, plants, enemies within all hoping for being rewarded for ratting and conspiring against each other and the country in their meetings with the governors in their lust for power.
  • lost (10/02/2024, 03:24) Like (14) Dislike (0) Reply
    We have leaders who are looking for guidance. None can lead by presenting a plan and saying to the UK "here", this is what our people want to achieve in a modern partnership. Now let's map out a way to get there. No, it's hands out like beggars and eyes wide open like whatever is behind in their head is empty. "Please tell us, what is on the other side. Don't forget education". Like really? And here comes the people to say "he talking good, hooray". What a sad situation.
    • ... (11/02/2024, 14:05) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
      @ lost - A fitting comment. I couldn't agree more. It's like we elect a set of ignoramusses to reprepresent ignaramusses.
  • All failures. (10/02/2024, 07:13) Like (10) Dislike (2) Reply
    Everyone of them looking our for their own self interest. None of them looking out for the masses. They have failed over and and over. Herritage talking a heap a nonsense, I am a voter and I am in favor of a Britain take over..Most voters had enough of of failing politicians and Govr, we are willing to give Britain an opportunity. So heritage only looking out for his business which he has a right to..but he talk a heap of Bull. I hope one day Cindy gets her own Radio platform, and stop getting bullied and shut down..
  • concerned citizen (10/02/2024, 07:28) Like (3) Dislike (5) Reply
    It is not about race, it is about political objectivity. Governors who loves power but don't care about the people well still say like Daniel Pruce how much they want the bvi people to have good governance, but the optics are difficult
  • cap (10/02/2024, 07:41) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    I think for the people not benefiting from corruption, and who are in favour of the UK’s help which is much needed, we assume that a modern partnership will lead to better governance and a better quality of life. Educated people can put two and two together.
  • Just a minute (10/02/2024, 08:03) Like (7) Dislike (0) Reply
    Let’s try and look at it from a different perspective and take emotion out of this. Let’s ask ourselves some hard questions. Are we getting good governance? Are we really happy to go back to what was occurring before the COI? Instead of emotionally going on about colonialism and the white man controlling us let’s consider that maybe the UK does want what is best for us the people. We are not vocal enough ourselves so they are demanding it for us. Just food for thought and maybe without them this government would never enact what is required.
  • ... (10/02/2024, 09:49) Like (5) Dislike (7) Reply
    We need more politicans like Mather.

    Similar to a job by the time they finish the interview process some of yall dont even know how much you will get paid & that is not a partnership but a dictatorship & toxic. Stop being toxic UK!
  • Sam (10/02/2024, 10:29) Like (5) Dislike (4) Reply
    More underhanded colonial era tactics of course. Never ever trust the British. Never trust Anglo saxons
  • BuzzBvi (10/02/2024, 11:25) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
    You would imagine a continuing oartnerahip. Unless VI does not behave like a partner in which case UK take over or the people of the VI (not just one guy with 487 votes) want to take a risk and go for independence. A continuing partnership would seem the best bet as currently the ones that want independence only want it so they can contunue wirh corrupt ways, stealing funds and facilitating drug running.
  • hummmm (10/02/2024, 12:14) Like (12) Dislike (0) Reply
    All I would say is that the COI allowed us the people to see how our pass and present Governments were and is currently running our country. The Auditor General report allowed us to see how monies was spent and abused.....I believe the UK wants to see what our Government is doing or not doing as the allegations of corruption, bad governance and exploitation are stacked high against us..
    We ought to keep the Government accountable if we dont UK will
  • Hum (10/02/2024, 13:18) Like (5) Dislike (1) Reply
    On the other Side
    BIG CLEAN UP
  • Quiet Rebel (10/02/2024, 17:56) Like (10) Dislike (1) Reply
    @Sam, there are ample evidence to distrust them liars from the caucasoid mountains. Even Ronald Regan said trust them but verify-meaning they are not trustworthy so what they must be verified. Even Murderous Arthur Hodge’s fellow planters and legislators did not trust his asinine, racist reasons why should have murdered Prosper for letting a mango fell to the ground..Can or should anyone trust Donald Trump that he would only be a dictator for a day. Did anyone believe John Rankin proclamation that he did not know before hand about Fahie’s pending arrest. Did they not take Henrietta Lax’s cervical cell without her consent, using them to make billions. Did they not abused and deceived blacks in the Tuskegee Syphillis study? Did not Richard Taney said that blacks were not entitled to the rights and privileges afforded by the US constitution, and they had no rights deserving recognition?
    • @Quiet Rebel (10/02/2024, 20:07) Like (6) Dislike (3) Reply
      To Quiet Rebel, slavery, slave trade, colonialism/imperialism, Jim Crow, John Bull, etc was/ is past history why keep bringing them into present, opening old wounds. We should heal the wounds, wrongs inflicted by leaving these things on past. We can never move forward not forgetting these things.
      • @@Quiet Rebel (10/02/2024, 21:16) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
        To @Quiet Rebel, slavery, the slave trade, colonialism/imperialism dehumanized, abused, exploited, separated/ dispersed family, shatter the history, culture, heritage, religion, etc, deprive them of an education, provide them with little or no health care, fed them a poor diet, provide them poor housing, etc., slaves and use their labour/ person to build immense wealth and provide for their comfort. Additionally, they use government, include the court/legal system, to amass all the wealth, resources, power, control and all the levers of government and pass on generational wealth to their descendants. Should not slave descendants be made whole for the exploitation of their forebears? So we the slave descendants should forget about the dehumanization and other abuse while white descendants continue to benefit from the generational pass on to them which was derived from slave labour?
        • Real Hablar (11/02/2024, 09:43) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
          To @@Quiet Rebel, real talk, speaking truth which may be uncomfortable to many but that does not change the truth. Indeed, Whites used government and the courts to amass all the wealth, resources, power, influence, control, etc and then pulled up the gang plank to prevent others, especially people of African descent who they deem equivalent to field animals and a permanent underclass whose role was servile, from even getting the crumbs, if anything, that was left. They used conquered/colonized expropriated lands and exploited slave labour to build dizzying wealth and privileges, using the kangaroo court as the guardian to protect the amassed wealth. From the wealth derived from exploited labour, they passed on generational wealth to their offsprings who are still benefiting. The offsprings now resist any effort to provide reparations for slaves descendants, coming come up with all manner of excuses. They don’t even have the common human decency to give a pretensive apology, much less a “ hapeney.” Race and resources is a sine qua none motivating /animating, driving force of opposition for them. Writ large, it is their desire to not make the descendants of slaves whole. It is their quintessential modus operandi, attitude, behavior. Trust but verify, verify, verify. Snakes are snakes, for in the end snakes always behave like snakes. Watch for the fake grin in public, for in the dark back room is a complete other tory.
          • Quiet Warrior (11/02/2024, 12:49) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
            The descendants of slave masters have enjoyed and continue to enjoy the good life, spoils, generated by expropriated and exploited slave labor but vigorously push back against reparations for slave descendants. The following is an excerpt on the UK telegraph: “ Island nation urges other rich Britons with links to the slave trade to pay a proportion of their proceeds to other Caribbean countries.” Further, CARICOM Reparation Commission, led by Dr. Hilary Beckles,,have devised a solid, workable 10-point plan but it seems to be stocked at Top Dead Center..New life must be injected into the CRC. Is it fair that the descendants have enjoyed the benefits from and of exploited slave labour but slave descendants are continually castigated, maligned, ignored, shit on. Cast as freeloaders looking for an undeserving, free handout. Their quintessential attitude is that slave masters were entitled and had the right to exploit slaves for their (slave masters) benefit.
      • round rock (10/02/2024, 23:12) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
        I agree with Quier Rebel. Slavery was real and it is existing in some places. If we forget the past, we will allow ourselves be abused. From what we have learned from the past will prepare for the future.
    • @QR (11/02/2024, 09:05) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      To QR, who are Henrietta Lax and Richard Taney and what are their stories?
      • Quiet Rebel (11/02/2024, 13:13) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
        My bad Lax should have read Lacks: In regards to Henrietta Lacks, her is an excerpt from John Hopkins: “ Henrietta Lacks (born Loretta Pleasant; August 1, 1920 – October 4, 1951)[1] was an African-American woman[4] whose cancer cells are the source of the HeLa cell line, the first immortalized human cell line[A] and one of the most important cell lines in medical research. An immortalized cell line reproduces indefinitely under specific conditions, and the HeLa cell line continues to be a source of invaluable medical data to the present day.[6]” Of note, the use of the cell line creates some rights and privacy issues, for the Lacks family was allegedly only found out or notify late about the the cell-line.” Consequently, the family may have taken legal action , which may or may not have been resolved..

        Richard Taney: Richard Taney was a US Supreme Court justice who in the landmark Suoreme Court case Scott v. Sanford wrote that the constitution did not extend to people of African descent; therefore, Blacks could enjoy the rights and privileges afforded by constitution. Taney was a piece of racist…..
  • ausar (10/02/2024, 19:19) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    Mr. Mather, you're on the right track!

    Trust, BUT VERIFY,

    and VERIFY CONTINUALLY, for perpetuity!


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