TORTOLA, British Virgin Islands, Apr. 23, CMC – Premier Dr. Natalio Wheatley has secured approval in the House of Assembly for a delegation to represent the Virgin Islands in constitutional negotiations with the United Kingdom, advancing a long-standing review of the territory’s governance framework.
The approval followed a motion by the Premier to establish a Constitutional Negotiating Committee, which will engage with the UK government on a new constitution for the territory.
The committee, to be led by Wheatley, includes senior government ministers, opposition members, legal experts, and representatives from the Constitutional Review Commission.
Wheatley said the negotiations are grounded in the Virgin Islands Constitution Order 2007, which implemented a review after 10 years. He noted that nearly two decades have passed since then, highlighting the need for reform.
He pointed to completed local work, including the Constitutional Review Commission’s report finalised in November 2023 and the House of Assembly’s deliberations concluded in April 2026.
The report, he said, has been made public to inform national discussions and will be submitted to the UK government through the Minister for Overseas Territories.
The committee is mandated to represent the Virgin Islands in discussions on reform and modernisation of the constitutional framework, supported by senior public officials and representatives from the territory’s London office.
The motion was passed without debate, formally establishing the negotiating team to begin talks with the United Kingdom.
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