VI must be proactive against UK policies like same-sex marriage- Carvin Malone

BAUGHERS BAY, Tortola, VI – A former Minister for Health and Social Development Mr Carvin Malone has called for the [British] Virgin Islands (VI) to stop being reactive and be proactive when it comes to United Kingdom (UK)-imposed policy topics such as same-sex marriages and capital punishment.

Mr Malone was a guest on the August 28, 2023, edition of Umoja hosted by Shania M. Smith-Archer, who suggested that the VI may be on the receiving end of quasi-governance when convenient from the UK Government.

“As you would quite appreciate the one VI agenda [is] set to look at this and a number of other issues which will be unfolding in very short order. So we have to be mindful that we cannot only be reactive, we must be proactive in looking at a number of these particular issues.”

He said for OTs to take a closer look at self-determination, it means they must set their own narrative and agenda.

"The narrative being set, if it is set by others, then it cannot be us, because we have to set our own narrative... We [VI] have a particular quest from 1962 up to now and the role that the Parliament should have been looking at is how do we prepare our particular Overseas Territories and/or the colonies to look in terms of self-determination.”

Moving towards self-determination

He said rather what he sees are propositions looking at how OTs like the VI can stay within the current structure under the UK, and the UK feels good about it.