Let me first say that I was taken aback when at approximately 10:30 am on Monday, 28th June 2010 I heard you, the Representative for the Sandy Hill District, address the Speaker of the House prior to the Budget Debate and announce your intention to leave the Opposition side, as the only member of the Anguilla Progressive Party, and join the Anguilla United Movement government.

I use the words “taken aback” and not “surprised” because the talk of you joining the AUM was in the air from days after the election. You will recall that during the first House of Assembly sitting, entreaties were being made to you by both the Honourable Chief Minister Mr. Hubert Hughes and his son and Parliamentary Secretary, the Honourable Mr. Haydn Hughes.

My clear recollection is that you met with the members of your constituency on 23rd February 2010, eight (8) days after being elected and, after seeking the advice and views of the Sandy Hill District, the majority of the constituents were adamant that you not join with the Anguilla United Movement and that is why you stated that you would remain in opposition. But, within months of making that decision, you announced on 28th June 2010 that you were crossing the floor. You sought to meet with your constituency on 30th June 2010, two (2) days after taking that fateful step in the House of Assembly. By doing so Mr. Roberts, you broke your promise to the people of the Sandy Hill District that you would come back and talk to the constituents of your District first as far as a decision to cross the floor was concerned.

And while I wish you well in your endeavours, I must ask the question, “Why did you really join the AUM, Mr. Roberts?” Did anything change between 23rd February 2010 and 28th June 2010?

You stated in your speech on 28th June 2010 that you were crossing the floor to work and speak on behalf of the people of Anguilla for that which is good, and objecting to that which is bad.

Presumably Mr. Roberts, your statement would have also included working and speaking on behalf of the people of the Sandy Hill District. I say this because I would have expected that defending and protecting the constituents of the Sandy Hill District would be a top priority for you, the newest member of the AUM Government. Yet, within 24 hours of your speech, you sat as a member of the AUM Government in the House of Assembly and heard the Honourable Chief Minister refer to a Permanent Secretary involved with Carnival as corrupt. But this Permanent Secretary is no ordinary Permanent Secretary. She happens to be a member of the Sandy Hill District constituency, a young upstanding woman whom you have known for many many years and who I personally know to be a person who operates by the book.

And so while Mr. Hughes repeatedly referred to corruption of this Permanent Secretary, you sat there and said nothing. This act or non act was even more egregious considering that you knew that a member speaking in the House was cloaked with immunity and so that Permanent Secretary could have no recourse in order to defend herself and protect her good name. It was therefore up to you as her District Representative to defend her good name, which you failed to do. In fact, one could come to the conclusion that you condoned the remarks made by Mr. Hughes, as you never suggested otherwise.

What is apparent is that after the 2010 elections, you were immediately faced with two issues that would be a testament to your strength of character. One was standing strong in the Opposition as a member of the Anguilla Progressive Party. The other was to defend the good character and reputation of one of your constituents in the House of Assembly when she was unfairly attacked. Did you pass either of these two tests? The Sandy Hill Constituents and the general public will have to decide. But I cannot help but ask the question, “Why did you really cross the floor, Mr. Roberts?”

A District 2 Voter

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