Penn accuses Alliance of saying one thing, doing another

Opposition member Marlon Penn has questioned the motives of the newly formed Alliance group in the House of Assembly, suggesting their words do not match their actions.

Penn made the remarks during a joint appearance with PVIM leader Ronnie Skelton on JTV, where the two confirmed that the National Democratic Party (NDP) and Progressive Virgin Islands Movement (PVIM) are merging.

“What the other guys have been working on… they’re saying one thing, but the actions are showing something differently,” Penn asserted.

The NDP and PVIM announced that they have started the process of reunification following years of political division. The parties split in 2019 but now claim to be moving forward as one.

“We’re here to allow our supporters and the general public to recognise that we are doing things to bring both organisations back together,” Skelton stated.

Penn said his focus remained on uniting the two parties and that he had made this clear to all opposition members, including those who formed the Alliance group.

“My focus is the reunification of the organisation. I am not interested in starting any new organisation or any party,” he explained.

He added that while efforts were ongoing to work collaboratively, members of the Alliance blindsided the rest of the opposition by launching their group and writing to the Governor to remove Skelton as Leader of the Opposition.