Governor His Excellency John Rankin is confident that the next appointed Minister for the Overseas Territories (OTs) will continue the agenda of their predecessor Lord Zac Goldsmith.
Goldsmith caught many by surprise last Friday, after resigning from the British Government following his submission of a lengthy resignation letter in which he accused the United Kingdom (UK) Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of displaying “apathy” on climate change issues.
The former OTs minister had commenced work in the territory, officially visiting in February 2023 and providing oversight of the BVI Government’s implementation of the Commission of Inquiry (COI) Report recommendations.
Responding to a question by 284 Media on the potential impact that Goldsmith’s resignation could have on the territory, Governor Rankin said he believes that the next appointed OTs minister will continue on the work already conducted by Goldsmith.
When asked whether he was shocked to hear of the resignation, the governor said it is a practice often seen within the UK system of government.
One of the first tasks of the new OTs minister, as it relates to the BVI, will be to respond to Governor Rakin’s latest COI Quarterly Review Report.
At the time of the interview, the governor said he was still awaiting a formal response from the UK on the concerns raised in the report that was submitted in early June.
The full interview can be viewed on all 284 Media platforms.
