Natalio Dixon Wheatley (born 2 June 1980) is a

British Virgin Islands ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = Territorial song , song = "Oh, Beautiful Virgin Islands" , image_map = File:British Virgin Islands on the globe (Americas centered).svg , map_caption = , mapsize = 290px , image_map2 = Brit ...

politician currently serving as

Premier of the British Virgin Islands The Premier of the Virgin Islands is the head of government for the British Virgin Islands. As a British Overseas Territory, the Premier is appointed by the Governor on behalf of the British monarch, currently King Charles III. Until 2007, the h ...

. He is the grandson of former Chief Minister,

Willard Wheatley Willard Wheatley MBE (16 July 1915 – 22 January 1997) was a British Virgin Islands educator and politician who served two consecutive terms as the Chief Minister of the British Virgin Islands from 1971 to 1979. He was the second ever Chief Min ...

. He has at times expressed a preference to be referred to by his adopted African name, Sowande Uhuru.

Political career

Wheatley is from one of the main political families in the British Virgin Islands. He first ran for election in the 2011 general election for the People's Patriotic Alliance (PPA) as an at-large candidate. He finished 10th in the voting with 798 votes (2.3%). He subsequently ran in the 2015 general election for the People's Empowerment Party (PEP), also as an at large candidate. He finished 11th in the voting with 470 votes (1.3%). He then ran in the 2019 general election for the

Virgin Islands Party The Virgin Islands Party (VIP) is a political party in the British Virgin Islands. It is presently led by Acting Premier Natalio Wheatley. It is the oldest active political party in the British Virgin Islands, and it has won more general elect ...

for the seventh district, and was elected after defeating incumbent

Kedrick Pickering Dr. Kedrick Pickering (born 8 April 1958) is the former Deputy Premier of the Virgin Islands, also known as the British Virgin Islands. He also served as the territory's Minister of Natural Resources and Labour. He is a member of the National D ...

with 44.76% of the vote. He was appointed Minister for Education, Culture, Youth Affairs, Fisheries and Agriculture from 2019. He was the acting Premier during the arrest of

Andrew Fahie Andrew Alturo Fahie (, born 7 August 1970) is a British Virgin Islands politician who served as Premier of the British Virgin Islands from 2019 to 2022. He was also the chairman of the Virgin Islands Party in the British Virgin Islands from 201 ...

in April 2022 on drug trafficking and money laundering charges in Miami, United States. A Commission of Inquiry into corruption in the British Virgin Islands found that there were "appalling" failures in the islands' governance and a "high likelihood" of serious corruption, with the inquiry recommending the partial suspension of the islands’ constitution and the imposition of direct British rule of the islands for up to two years. He opposes direct rule from London during the crisis. On 5 May 2022, he brought a

motion of no confidence A motion of no confidence, also variously called a vote of no confidence, no-confidence motion, motion of confidence, or vote of confidence, is a statement or vote about whether a person in a position of responsibility like in government or mana ...

against his own government for the removal of Andrew Fahie as Premier. The motion was passed unanimously. Wheatley was sworn in as Premier on the same day.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wheatley, Natalio 1980 births Living people Alumni of SOAS University of London British Virgin Islands politicians Clark Atlanta University alumni Members of the House of Assembly of the British Virgin Islands Premiers of the British Virgin Islands Purdue University alumni