They can’t walk in my shoes! Premier dismisses ‘poor leadership’ tag

Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has dismissed criticisms of poor economic leadership, insisting his administration has achieved record revenue and spending levels while navigating the BVI through multiple crises.

“We probably had the biggest budget we’ve ever had in our history,” Wheatley stated during a recent interview on JTV’s Big Story programme. “We probably made more revenue than we’ve ever had in our history. We probably had the most expenditure than we’ve ever had in our history.”

The Premier’s comments follow recent opposition criticism and public concern over government spending, particularly on travel and entertainment. Dr Wheatley, however, defended the government’s financial strategy, arguing that significant investments are necessary to drive growth, especially in the tourism sector.

“I would say that I’ve taken the Virgin Islands through a very difficult period. We’ve had hurricanes, we’ve had pandemics, and then we had political instability due to the commission of inquiry,” he explained. “So people will talk, but can they walk a mile in your shoes? A lot of them can’t. A lot of them are just interested in talking.”