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Political commentator Claude Skelton Cline has claimed the United Kingdom will use contentious issues, including same-sex marriage legislation and a public beneficial ownership registry, as leverage in upcoming constitutional negotiations with the Virgin Islands.
Speaking on his programme yesterday, Skelton Cline said the Territory’s relationship with the UK has become increasingly restrictive and warned that constitutional talks may come with conditions attached.
“I know that this is some of the main tenant things they’re holding over our heads to say, if you want this, Virgin Islands, then we must have this,” he said.
According to Skelton Cline, the UK wants the Territory to advance Human Rights legislation that could pave the way for legalising same-sex marriage, while also pushing for the beneficial ownership registry to become public.
Noting that the UK does not play fair, he argued that making the registry public would threaten the financial services industry, which he said contributes 63 cents of every dollar collected by the Territory.
“We cannot give up beneficial ownership becoming public,” he said. “It would be tantamount to killing the goose that laid the golden egg.”
His comments come as the Virgin Islands prepares for constitutional negotiations with the UK. In April, a 10-member Constitutional Negotiating Committee (CNC) was established to lead discussions on reforming and modernising the Territory’s Constitution.
Skelton Cline said while the Virgin Islands should maintain ties with the UK, the terms of that relationship must change.
“We are being suffocated, stymied and stagnated,” he said. “The terms and conditions must change.”
Speaking on his programme yesterday, Skelton Cline said the Territory’s relationship with the UK has become increasingly restrictive and warned that constitutional talks may come with conditions attached.
“I know that this is some of the main tenant things they’re holding over our heads to say, if you want this, Virgin Islands, then we must have this,” he said.
According to Skelton Cline, the UK wants the Territory to advance Human Rights legislation that could pave the way for legalising same-sex marriage, while also pushing for the beneficial ownership registry to become public.
Noting that the UK does not play fair, he argued that making the registry public would threaten the financial services industry, which he said contributes 63 cents of every dollar collected by the Territory.
“We cannot give up beneficial ownership becoming public,” he said. “It would be tantamount to killing the goose that laid the golden egg.”
His comments come as the Virgin Islands prepares for constitutional negotiations with the UK. In April, a 10-member Constitutional Negotiating Committee (CNC) was established to lead discussions on reforming and modernising the Territory’s Constitution.
Skelton Cline said while the Virgin Islands should maintain ties with the UK, the terms of that relationship must change.
“We are being suffocated, stymied and stagnated,” he said. “The terms and conditions must change.”
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