UK leaves direct rule on table until 2025

London will not decide until next year whether to lift its threat to impose direct rule on the Virgin Islands, according to United Kingdom Overseas Territories Minister Stephen Doughty.

The announcement came last Thursday after Mr. Doughty concluded a three-day visit to the territory, during which he declined to speak to the media and didn’t host public meetings.

His stance comes despite Premier Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley’s repeated demands for the UK to lift the order in council that enables London to temporarily take over key parts of the VI government’s powers to force through Commission of Inquiry reforms.

Mr. Wheatley has previously said his government has completed its end of the COI reforms, and he has branded the order in council as “coercive and colonial” in nature.

This week he reiterated his position on the matter. “I continue to advocate for the removal of the order in council,” he told the Beacon.

“It has no place in a modern partnership. It is a tool of coercion, and it is undemocratic.”

Video address

In a short video address released last Thursday, Mr. Doughty said that following his discussions with VI leaders he was encouraged by progress on the COI reforms.

“In the meetings, I have also set out clearly the process by which the UK will review the progress being made before considering whether the order in council can be lifted,” he said.

That process, he said, will involve a final review of the situation by Governor Daniel Pruce, a self-assessment by the VI government, and a fact-finding visit to the territory by officials from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

“I am then going to discuss the conclusions with the foreign secretary and with the government here in BVI and the governor and agree the next steps, including around the order in council,” he said. “And I hope that this will be happening in the first part of next year.”

Referring to COI reforms, Mr. Doughty added, “I am encouraged by the focus on implementation in the period ahead. That’s what is going to make the real difference here.”

‘Constructive conversations’

The minister also reiterated the importance of the COI changes.

“While the reforms themselves will take time to deliver real change on the ground, I am certain that they will benefit the territory and its people in the longer term,” he said. “And I have had many constructive conversations with the government and a range of other representatives on that.”

Mr. Dougthy added that he is encouraging input from residents on the matter. “I have asked the governor to establish a means by which his office can receive any submission from the public on this process,” he said. “It is important that your voices are heard in this process.”

London talks

The comments on the order in council threat came after Mr. Wheatley described talks with the minister in London in September as “constructive.”

Speaking after returning to the VI following that meeting, the premier said, “When the minister comes here in November, we believe that we would be in a good position to advocate very strongly for the lifting of the order.”