Although there had been rumours about an impending switch from the Opposition side of the Anguilla House of Assembly by the lone Anguilla Progressive Party (APP) Elected Member, Jerome Roberts, to join the ruling Anguilla United Movement Government, he stunned the public when in fact he walked across the aisle on Monday, June 28.

Opposition Members: L-R: Hon. Evans Rogers, Hon. Othlyn Vanterpool and Hon. Jerome Roberts just before crossing floor

The Anguillian was reliably informed that there had been meetings involving Mr. Robert, his party and representatives of the Government over the past two weeks and that an agreement was reached last weekend for him to cross the floor. It is understood that he will be taking up duties in the Ministry of Finance. Soon after the February 15 General Election, there had been overtures to him to join the Government which he resisted. Most notably, he spurned the overtures following a District 2 constituency meeting at which the majority of his supporters succeeded in getting him to remain in Opposition, arguing that they had elected him as an APP candidate.

Mr. Roberts, until this week, has been an employee of the Anguilla Electricity Company in the post of Customer Care/Billing Supervisor. He has been working for ANGLEC for 19 years and 2 months in various positions. He told the House on Monday about his decision to join the Government, just before the commencement of the Order of Business, with permission from the Speaker, the Hon. Barbara Webster-Bourne.

For the record, he made the following statement:

“Madam Speaker, on Monday last, I sat on this honourable side of the House and listened attentively to the Minister of Finance, the representative for Road South, the Hon. Hubert Hughes, delivering the Budget Speech which today we will indeed debate.

“The Budget Speech, Madam Speaker, reflects the great stress, sacrifice and sufferings which we as a country, and as a people, must endure due to the wanton, irresponsible and downright, deliberate recklessness conducted by the Anguilla United Front, with successive Governments from 2000 to February 2010.

“Madam Speaker, as I go through my District, Sandy Hill, and Anguilla, by extension, on a daily basis, it pains my heart, and at times tears come from my very eyes, to see the suffering in which our people have been plunged by the failed United Front Administration. Salvation from the depths of hellish suffering into which our beloved country has been plunged, by the former Government, requires, Madam Speaker, that we all make sacrifices; and that we all work together in harmony as one in order to not favour ourselves alone, but favour Anguilla.

“The great English writer, Shakespeare, wrote in his play, Julius Caesar, these words, Madam Speaker and I quote: ‘There is a tide in the affairs of men which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune.’ But alas, it is unfortunate that we, as a people, cannot use that word ‘fortune’ at this time as it ascribes to our country’s economy and finances.

“On February 15, 2010, Madam Speaker, the people of Anguilla spoke, and spoke loudly, and they voted for the Anguilla United Movement as the people’s Government. The Budget Speech, to which I referred, shows the great efforts of the members on the opposite side to try to bring Anguilla to the tide in the affairs of men which can lead to fortune for not some, but indeed for all the people of Anguilla.

“This will take, Madam Speaker, hard work and selfless commitment but all of us, under the very able leadership of the Member for Road South, the Hon. Chief Minister, Mr. Hughes, will see it through. The Hon. Members opposite, who constitute the Executive Council or the Executive Branch of Government of Anguilla, deserve the assistance of all the people of Anguilla in their quest to bring that tide of good fortune to all our people.

Mr. Roberts walks away from the Opposition to join Government

“As the representative for Sandy Hill, District No. 2, Madam Speaker, it is my bounding duty to do all that I can to ensure that the people’s Government achieves that noble cause. Therefore, Madam Speaker, I will now fulfill my bounding duty to the people of Sandy Hill, and the people of Anguilla by extension, and finally answer the call to service as I, Madam Speaker, will humbly journey across to the other side of the floor and join the Anguilla United Movement as a proud member of the Anguilla Progressive Party, working and speaking on behalf of the people of Anguilla, for what is good and objecting [rejecting] that which is bad.

“Thank you, Madam Speaker, for the time and I so now journey.”

Mr. Roberts then took his seat on the Government side of the House.

Chief Minister, Hubert Hughes, made the following statement:

“Madam Speaker, ever since I entered politics in Anguilla, over 40 years ago, I recognised that the people of Anguilla have been divided, unfortunately. After the Anguilla Revolution, this division was settled until party politics was again introduced in Anguilla at a very unfortunate period in its history. And over the years, I have clamoured that Anguilla has entered this divisive system at a very unfortunate time, when we were fighting the colonial system for a progressive constitution.

Government side of the House at Budget Debate and welcoming of Mr. Roberts. Chief Minister Hubert Hughes (standing) leading House

“Today, I am indeed happy that the first step towards a nationalist approach to Government has been accomplished. God had to be in the last election, because in the last election Madam Speaker, we, of the Anguilla United Movement, campaigned viciously for a defeat of a monster and that monster has been defeated, and we were successful in helping to convince the people of the Sandy Hill District to vote for the Hon. Jerome Roberts. Madam Speaker, that has bourne the type of fruit that Anguilla will benefit from and today history has been made in that the Hon. Jerome Roberts has answered to the cry and I know that he is doing just what God wanted for Anguilla: it is to bring a semblance of unity to this island. This is the only way we can fight against those who are threatening to destroy us.

“Madam Speaker, from now onward, we will pursue the entire nationalist approach to Government and we hope that the day will come when the other two members will also join in this Movement. Thank, you, Madam Speaker and welcome Hon. Jerome Roberts.”

Leader of the Opposition, Evans Rogers, made the following statement:

“Madam Speaker, I would like to make a few comments with regard to the events here this morning. The Hon. Chief Minister mentioned that during the recent election, they fought very hard and supported the Hon. Jerome Roberts in District No. 2, Sandy Hill and East End, and that is their right.

“We are elected, Madam Speaker, to represent the people in those constituencies. We are all mature individuals and the decisions that we make should be a reflection of the people that we represent. While we have the opportunity to sit in this Hon. House, we will always be politicians. Electioneering, Madam Speaker, should be over and the people of East End and Sandy Hill District, they will determine…For us, it is no surprise and I am sure that for some of them it is no surprise as well…
“But I must make one comment before we move on. The Hon. Chief Minister mentioned that they worked hard during the last election campaign to defeat a monster; and while you may have defeated a monster, Member for Road South, you may be in the process of creating yet another.
“In the spirit of unity, I would also take this opportunity to wish the Hon. Member for East End, Jerome Roberts, all the best; and I hope that you will work in the interest of the people of District 2 and Anguilla in general. You did mention in your comments that you were a proud member of the APP and the people of Anguilla, Madam Speaker, will have a chance and an opportunity, sometime, in the near future, to verify those types of statements. I thank you.”
The Speaker adjourned the House for ten minutes. When the House resumed, she congratulated Mr. Roberts and wished him all the best.

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