Virgin Islands Party

The Virgin Islands Party (VIP) is a political party in the British Virgin Islands.[2] It is presently led by former Minister Andrew Fahie.[3] It is the oldest active political party in the British Virgin Islands,[4] and it has won more general elections (seven) than any other political party in the British Virgin Islands.[5]

Virgin Islands Party
LeaderAndrew Fahie
Founded1971
IdeologyConservatism
Traditionalism[1]
House of Assembly
8 / 13

The party was founded by Lavity Stoutt in 1971 when Stoutt left the United Party in order to contest 1971 election after a dispute with Conrad Maduro as to who should be leader of the United Party.[6] The Virgin Islands Party led by Stoutt lost to coalitions led by Willard Wheatley in the 1971 and 1975 general elections, but triumphed in the 1979 general election. Stoutt continued to lead the party until his death in 1995. After Stoutt's death, leadership of the party fell to Ralph T. O'Neal who led it until he stepped down on 28 May 2014.[7]

Prior to the 2011 general election the Virgin Islands Party had held power in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) for all except for 15 years since the adoption of the modern Legislative Council in 1967. From its inception until 2014, the party had only been led by two men: Lavity Stoutt and Ralph O'Neal; the two party leaders are also the two longest serving elected politicians in BVI history and the first two leaders of the territory to have served more than two terms as either Chief Minister or Premier.[8] On 28 May 2014 Julian Fraser took over from Ralph O'Neal,[7] and led the party to defeat in the 2015 general election. On 30 November 2016 Andrew Fahie replaced Julian Fraser as party leader,[3] making Fraser the first (and, so far, the only) leader of the Virgin Islands Party not to ascend to either the Chief Minister or Premiership.

The party most recently held power after the 2019 general election held on 25 February 2019 winning 8 seats out of 13.

Virgin Islands Party had held power continuously from 1986 until 2003, winning four consecutive general elections, which is the longest unbroken streak in government for a political party in the British Virgin Islands.

Electoral history

House of Assembly elections
Election Party leader Votes % Seats +/– Position Government
1971 H. Lavity Stoutt
2 / 7
 2 2nd Opposition
1975 1,421 47.4%
3 / 7
 1 1st Opposition
1979 733 27.8%
4 / 9
 1 1st Majority government
1983 1,363 43.8%
4 / 9
 2nd Opposition
1986 1,838 45.7%
5 / 9
 1 1st Majority government
1990 2,409 46.6%
6 / 9
 1 1st Supermajority government
1995 7,932 32.1%
6 / 13
 1st Majority government
1999 Ralph T. O'Neal 42.2%
7 / 13
 5 1st Majority government
2003 42.2
5 / 13
 3 2nd Opposition
2007 18,052 45.2%
10 / 13
 5 1st Supermajority government
2011 16,998 39.0%
4 / 13
 6 2nd Opposition
2015 Julian Fraser 13,601 30.2%
2 / 13
 2 1st Opposition
2019 Andrew Fahie 22,296 46.54%
8 / 13
 6 1st Majority government

Footnotes
  1. https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Br_Virgin_Is.html
  2. "Political Parties in the British Virgin Islands". Caribbean Elections. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  3. "Fahie beats Fraser". BVI News. 30 November 2016.
  4. "Lawyer considers future of VIP". BVI Beacon. 30 April 2014. The VIP is the oldest active political party in the VI. It was founded in 1971.
  5. "Lawyer considers future of VIP". BVI Beacon. 30 April 2014. Prior to the 2011 general elections, the VIP had held power in the territory for all except 15 years since the adoption of the modern Legislative Council in 1967.
  6. Conrad Maduro was originally the leader of the party, but failed to win a seat in the 1967 general election; accordingly Lavity Stoutt was appointed Chief Minister. Lavity Stoutt was unwilling to relinquish the role if Maduro was to win a seat in the following election and so formed his own party.
  7. "We Have A War To Fight; I Need Warriors - Julian Fraser; Fahie Promises Support". 28 May 2014.
  8. Orlando Smith has now also served more than two terms.


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