View source for Premier of the Virgin Islands

{{Short description|Head of government of the British Virgin Islands}}
{{Use Oxford spelling|date=November 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}}
{{Infobox official post
|post            = Premier of the Virgin Islands
|body            = 
|nativename      = 
|flag            = 
|flagsize        = 
|flagcaption     = 
|insignia        = Coat of arms of the British Virgin Islands.svg
|insigniasize    = 
|insigniacaption = '''[[Coat of arms of the British Virgin Islands|Arms of]] [[His Majesty's Government (term)|His Majesty's]] <br />[[Politics of the British Virgin Islands|British Virgin Islands Government]]'''
|image           = Natalio D. Wheatley - Meeting with US Congressional Delegation (cropped).jpg
|imagesize       = 
|alt             = 
|incumbent       = [[Natalio Wheatley]]
|incumbentsince  = 5 May 2022
|department      = 
|style           = [[The Honourable]]
|member_of       = 
|reports_to      = 
|residence       = 
|seat            = 
|nominator       = 
|appointer       = [[Governor of the Virgin Islands]]
|appointer_qualified  = 
|termlength      = [[At His Majesty's pleasure|At the governor's pleasure]]
|termlength_qualified = Normally 4 years
|constituting_instrument = 
|precursor       = 
|formation       = 14 April 1967
|first           = [[Lavity Stoutt|Hamilton '''Lavity Stoutt''']]<br />{{small|as Chief Minister}}
|last            = 
|abolished       = 
|succession      = 
|deputy          = 
|salary          = 
|website         = [http://www.bvi.org.uk/ Office of the Premier]
}}
{{Politics of the British Virgin Islands}}
The '''Premier of the Virgin Islands'''<ref>While the territory is commonly known as the 'British Virgin Islands', her official name is simply 'Virgin Islands'.</ref> is the [[head of government]] for the [[British Virgin Islands]]. As a [[British Overseas Territory]], the Premier is appointed by the [[Governor of the Virgin Islands|Governor]] on behalf of the [[Monarchy of the United Kingdom|British monarch]], currently King [[Charles III]].<ref>[http://www.bvi.gov.vg/products.asp?iProd=129&iCat=15&hierarchy=0 The Virgin Islands Constitution Order 2007] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090722153757/http://www.bvi.gov.vg/products.asp?iProd=129&iCat=15&hierarchy=0 |date=22 July 2009 }} (SI 2007/1678)</ref> Until 2007, the head of government was known as the '''Chief Minister of the Virgin Islands''', but a [[Constitution of the British Virgin Islands|constitutional change]] in 2007 renamed the position as Premier.<ref>[http://www.bvi.gov.vg/products.asp?iProd=128&iCat=15&hierarchy=0 The Virgin Islands (Constitution) Order 1976] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090503225057/http://www.bvi.gov.vg/products.asp?iProd=128&iCat=15&hierarchy=0 |date=2009-05-03 }} (SI 1976/2145), as amended by 1979/1603, 1982/151, [http://www.opsi.gov.uk/SI/si1991/Uksi_19912871_en_1.htm 1991/2871] and [http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1994/Uksi_19941638_en_1.htm 1994/1638]</ref>

The current Premier is [[Natalio Wheatley]]. He is serving since 5 May 2022.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dr Wheatley sworn in as Premier! New cross-party gov't also installed |url=https://bvinews.com/just-in-dr-wheatley-sworn-in-as-premier-new-govt-also-installed/ |website=BVINews |access-date=5 May 2022 |date=5 May 2022}}</ref>

==History of the office==
Since the [[Constitution of the British Virgin Islands|1967 constitution]] was adopted, only seven different people (all men) have served as Premier or Chief Minister, and each of them except for [[Cyril Romney]] and [[Andrew Fahie]] has served at least two full terms. Also, each of them has served as the [[Leader of the Opposition (British Virgin Islands)|Leader of the Opposition]].

[[Hamilton Lavity Stoutt|H. Lavity Stoutt]] won the most general elections of any leader (he won five), followed by [[Orlando Smith]] (three). Stoutt, Smith and [[Willard Wheatley]] are the only leaders to have served two consecutive full terms ([[Ralph T. O'Neal]] also served two consecutive terms, but the first of those was the remaining part of a term after Stoutt's death).

==List==

(Dates in italics indicate ''de facto'' continuation of office)

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="9" |{{legend2|SkyBlue|[[United Party (British Virgin Islands)|UP]]|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}} {{legend2|Yellow|[[VI Democratic Party|VIDP]]|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}} {{legend2|{{party color|Virgin Islands Party}}|[[Virgin Islands Party|VIP]]|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}} {{legend2|{{party color|National Democratic Party (British Virgin Islands)}}|[[National Democratic Party (British Virgin Islands)|NDP]]|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}
|- align=center bgcolor=#ebebeb
!rowspan=2|{{Abbr|No.|Number}}
!rowspan=2|Portrait
!rowspan=2|Name<br>{{small|(Birth–Death)}}
!colspan=3|Term of office{{efn|Duration of terms are calculated as commencing on the date of the election; not the actual subsequent date of appointment by the Governor, which is usually a few days later.}}
!rowspan=2|Political party
!rowspan=2|Elected
!rowspan=2|Notes
|- align=center bgcolor=#ebebeb
!Took office
!Left office
!Time in office
|-
! colspan="9" | Chief Ministers (1967–2007)
|-
! style="background:SkyBlue; color:white"| 1
| [[File:No image.png|80px]]
| [[Hamilton Lavity Stoutt|H. Lavity Stoutt]]<br>{{small|(1929–1995)}}
| 14 April 1967
| 2 June 1971
| {{Age in years and days|1967|4|14|1971|6|2}}
| [[United Party (British Virgin Islands)|United Party]]
| [[1967 British Virgin Islands general election|1967]]
| {{small|First tenure}}
|-
! style="background:Yellow; color:black"| 2
| rowspan=2|[[File:No image.png|80px]]
| rowspan=2|[[Willard Wheatley]]<br>{{small|(1915–1997)}}
| rowspan=2|2 June 1971
| rowspan=2|12 November 1979
| rowspan=2|{{Age in years and days|1971|6|2|1979|11|12}}
| [[VI Democratic Party]]
| rowspan=2|[[1971 British Virgin Islands general election|1971]]<br>[[1975 British Virgin Islands general election|1975]]
| rowspan=2|
|-
! style="background:SkyBlue; color:white"| {{small|(2)}}
| [[United Party (British Virgin Islands)|United Party]]{{efn|Wheatley led a coalition of himself plus the VI Democratic Party in the 1971 election and then another coalition of himself plus the United Party in the 1975 election.}}
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Virgin Islands Party}}; color:white"| {{small|(1)}}
| [[File:No image.png|80px]]
| [[Hamilton Lavity Stoutt|H. Lavity Stoutt]]<br>{{small|(1929–1995)}}
| 12 November 1979
| 11 November 1983
| {{Age in years and days|1979|11|12|1983|11|11}}
| [[Virgin Islands Party]]
| [[1979 British Virgin Islands general election|1979]]
| {{small|Second tenure}}
|-
! style="background:SkyBlue; color:white"| 3
| [[File:No image.png|80px]]
| [[Cyril Romney]]<br>{{small|(1931–2007)}}
| 11 November 1983
| 17 November 1986
| {{Age in years and days|1983|11|11|1986|11|17}}
| [[United Party (British Virgin Islands)|United Party]]
| [[1983 British Virgin Islands general election|1983]]
|
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Virgin Islands Party}}; color:white"| {{small|(1)}}
| [[File:No image.png|80px]]
| [[Hamilton Lavity Stoutt|H. Lavity Stoutt]]<br>{{small|(1929–1995)}}
| 17 November 1986
| 14 May 1995
| {{Age in years and days|1986|11|17|1995|5|14}}
| [[Virgin Islands Party]]
| [[1986 British Virgin Islands general election|1986]]<br>[[1990 British Virgin Islands general election|1990]]<br>[[1995 British Virgin Islands general election|1995]]
| {{small|Third tenure. Died in office}}
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Virgin Islands Party}}; color:white"| 4
| [[File:Ralph T. O'Neal (cropped).jpg|80px]]
| [[Ralph T. O'Neal]]<br>{{small|(1933–2019)}}
| 15 May 1995
| 17 June 2003
| {{Age in years and days|1995|5|15|2003|6|17}}
| [[Virgin Islands Party]]
| [[1999 British Virgin Islands general election|1999]]
|
|-
! style="background:{{party color|National Democratic Party (British Virgin Islands)}}; color:white"| 5
| [[File:D. Orlando Smith (cropped).jpg|80px]]
| [[Orlando Smith|D. Orlando Smith]]<br>{{small|(born 1944)}}
| 17 June 2003
| 23 August 2007
| {{Age in years and days|2003|6|17|2007|8|23}}
| [[National Democratic Party (British Virgin Islands)|National Democratic Party]]
| [[2003 British Virgin Islands general election|2003]]
|
|-
! colspan="9" | Premiers (2007–present)
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Virgin Islands Party}}; color:white"| 1
| [[File:Ralph T. O'Neal (cropped).jpg|80px]]
| [[Ralph T. O'Neal]]<br>{{small|(1933–2019)}}
| 23 August 2007
| 9 November 2011
| {{Age in years and days|2007|8|23|2011|11|9}}
| [[Virgin Islands Party]]
| [[2007 British Virgin Islands general election|2007]]
|
|-
! style="background:{{party color|National Democratic Party (British Virgin Islands)}}; color:white"| 2
| [[File:D. Orlando Smith (cropped).jpg|80px]]
| [[Orlando Smith|D. Orlando Smith]]<br>{{small|(born 1944)}}
| 9 November 2011
| 25 February 2019
| {{Age in years and days|2011|11|9|2019|2|25}}
| [[National Democratic Party (British Virgin Islands)|National Democratic Party]]
| [[2011 British Virgin Islands general election|2011]]<br>[[2015 British Virgin Islands general election|2015]]
|
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Virgin Islands Party}}; color:white"| 3
| [[File:Andrew Fahie 2021.jpg|80px]]
| [[Andrew Fahie]]<br>{{small|(born 1970)}}
| 26 February 2019
| 5 May 2022
| {{Age in years and days|2019|2|25|2022|5|5}}
| [[Virgin Islands Party]]
| [[2019 British Virgin Islands general election|2019]]
|
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Virgin Islands Party}}; color:white"| 4
| [[File:Natalio D. Wheatley (profile).jpg|80px]]
| [[Natalio Wheatley]]<br>{{small|(born 1980)}}
| 5 May 2022
| Incumbent
| {{Age in years and days|2022|5|5}}
| [[Virgin Islands Party]]
| [[2023 British Virgin Islands general election|2023]]
|
|}

All previous Chief Ministers or Premiers have served at least two terms except for Cyril Romney and	Andrew Fahie.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|- align=center bgcolor=#ebebeb
!№
!Name
!General Election<br />victories
!Total time in office<br />{{small|(days)}}
|-
|1 || [[Lavity Stoutt]] || 5 || 6,117
|-
|2 || [[Ralph O'Neal]] || 2 || 4,494
|-
|3 || [[Orlando Smith]] || 3 || 4,194
|-
|4 || [[Willard Wheatley]] || 2 || 3,085
|-
|5 || [[Andrew Fahie]] || 1 || 1,164
|-
|6 || [[Cyril Romney]] || 1 || 1,055
|-
|7 || [[Natalio Wheatley]] || 1 || {{age in days|2022-05-05}}
|}

==See also==
*[[List of current heads of government in the United Kingdom and dependencies]]
*[[Politics of the British Virgin Islands]]
*[[Governor of the Virgin Islands]]

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==

{{BVIPMs}}
{{British Virgin Islands topics}}
{{BOT and Crown Dependency heads of governments}}
{{Current heads of government in the UK and dependencies}}

[[Category:Lists of British Virgin Islands people by occupation|Heads of government of the British Virgin Islands]]
[[Category:Premiers of the British Virgin Islands|*]]
[[Category:Lists of heads of government|British Virgin Islands]]
[[Category:Government of the British Virgin Islands]]