Virgin Islands Party

Virgin Islands Party
Leader	Andrew Fahie
Founded	1971
Ideology	Traditionalism
House of Assembly	2 / 13

The Virgin Islands Party (VIP) is a political party in the British Virgin Islands led by former Minister Julian Fraser. It is the oldest active political party in the British Virgin Islands, and it has won more general elections (six) than any other political party in the British Virgin Islands.

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.^[1] The Virgin Islands Party led by Stoutt lost to the United Party led by 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.^[2]

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 only two leaders of the territory to have served more than two terms as either Chief Minister or Premier. In 28 May 2014 Julian Fraser took over from Ralph O'Neal,^[3] and led the party to defeat in the 2015 general election. On 30 November 2016 Andrew Fahie replaced Julian Fraser as party leader,^[4] making Fraser the first leader of the Virgin Islands Party not to ascend to either the Chief Minister or Premiership.

The party most recently held power after the 2007 general election held on 20 August 2007 winning 10 seats out of 13 (one further seat was won by an independent candidate endorsed by the Virgin Islands Party, and who later joined the party). However it lost the 2011 general election and is in opposition.

Prior to that, the party had most recently lost power at the 2003 general election, held on 16 June 2003, when the party won only 42.2% of the popular votes and five out of thirteen elected seats.

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

Virgin Islands Party electoral history

Year	Leader	Seats (Available)	Percentage	Result
1971	H. Lavity Stoutt	2 (7)	--	Lost VI Democratic Party
1975	H. Lavity Stoutt	3 (7)	--	Lost United Party
1979	H. Lavity Stoutt	4 (9)	27.8%*	Won Plurality
1983	H. Lavity Stoutt	4 (9)	43.8%	Lost United Party
1986	H. Lavity Stoutt	5 (9)	45.7%	Won Majority of 3
1990	H. Lavity Stoutt	6 (9)	46.6%	Won Majority of 5
1995	H. Lavity Stoutt	6 (13)	32.1%	Won Plurality
1999	Ralph T. O'Neal	7 (13)	42.2%	Won Majority of 2
2003	Ralph T. O'Neal	5 (13)	42.2%	Lost National Democratic Party
2007	Ralph T. O'Neal	10 (13)	45.2%	Won Majority of 8
2011	Ralph T. O'Neal	4 (13)	39.0%	Lost National Democratic Party
2015	Julian Fraser	2 (13)	30.2%	Lost National Democratic Party
* Record for the lowest percentage of votes obtained by a winning party in a general election.

References

1. 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.
2. "We Have A War To Fight; I Need Warriors - Julian Fraser; Fahie Promises Support". 28 May 2014.
3. "We Have A War To Fight; I Need Warriors - Julian Fraser; Fahie Promises Support". 28 May 2014.
4. "Fahie beats Fraser". BVI News. 30 November 2016.