Ralph T. O'Neal
| The Honourable Ralph O'Neal OBE | |
|---|---|
.jpg) O'Neal (right) being appointed as Premier by Governor David Pearey. | |
| Premier of the British Virgin Islands | |
|
In office 23 August 2007 – 9 November 2011 | |
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Governor |
David Pearey Inez Archibald (Acting) William Boyd McCleary |
| Preceded by | Orlando Smith (Chief Minister) |
| Succeeded by | Orlando Smith |
|
In office 15 May 1995 – 17 June 2003 | |
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Governor |
Peter Alfred Penfold David Mackilligin Frank Savage Elton Georges (Acting) Tom Macan |
| Preceded by | Hamilton Lavity Stoutt |
| Succeeded by | Orlando Smith |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
15 December 1933 Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands |
| Political party | Virgin Islands Party |
| Alma mater | University of Oxford |
Ralph Telford O'Neal, OBE (born 15 December 1933)[1] is a politician in the British Virgin Islands. He is the longest ever serving elected representative in the British Virgin Islands, and has served as Chief Minister (when the office was so titled) or Premier of the British Virgin Islands for three terms.
Politics
Ralph O'Neal was first elected to represent the district for Virgin Gorda and Anegada[2] on 1 September 1975, and he held that seat continuously until the 2015 general election. He is the longest serving elected politician in British Virgin Islands history having served in the House of Assembly and Legislative Council for 39 years, 280 days, and his 10 election victories (including one uncontested) are second only to Lavity Stoutt in the Territory's political history.[3] Ralph O'Neal has indicated that he will stand down at the next general election.[4]
Ralph O'Neal was first appointed as Chief Minister when Lavity Stoutt died in office on 14 May 1995. He then served as Chief Minister until the 1999 general election, which he won. His party would later lose the 2003 general election, but he would return to power as Premier (as the office was renamed) for the third and final time following a landslide victory in the 2007 general election. He remained in office until 7 November 2011, after the Virgin Islands Party lost its majority following the 2011 general election. His combined 12 years as head of the elected Government is the second longest in the British Virgin Islands, behind only Lavity Stoutt.
Ralph O'Neal has also served as Leader of the Opposition in the British Virgin Islands on three occasions - more than any other politician. He first served as opposition leader for the United Party from 1986 to 1988. He then served in the role for the Virgin Islands party from 2003 to 2007, and then finally from 2011 to 2015.
For most of his political career Ralph O'Neal was a member of the Virgin Islands Party, and he led the party from the time of Lavity Stoutt's death, until he stepped down as party leader and was replaced by Julian Fraser. However, like most BVI politicians, Ralph O'Neal has "crossed the floor". He contested his first election, the 1971 general election, unsuccessfully on behalf of the VI Democratic Party. He then ran for office twice as an independent candidate before joining the Virgin Islands Party. Then, in 1983, he left to join the ruling United Party, and contested the 1986 general election on behalf of the United Party. He later rejoined the Virgin Islands Party in 1988 to take up a Ministerial position in Lavity Stoutt's government and has been a member of the Virgin Islands party ever since.
Personal
Ralph O'Neal was educated at University of Oxford where he studied Economics. He is also property owner and developer in the British Virgin Islands. Apart from his property investments, O'Neal has had a number of other commercial interests during his life before serving in the House of Assembly under the Ralph O'Neal Group of Companies.
Electoral history
| Year | District | Party | Votes | Percentage | Winning/losing margin | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 7th District | VI Democratic Party | -- | -- | -- | Lost R. George |
| 1975 | 7th District | Independent | 306 | 64.0% | +136 | Won |
| 1979 | 9th District | Independent | 403 | 70.8% | +234 | Won |
| 1983 | 9th District | Virgin Islands Party | unopposed | Won | ||
| 1986 | 9th District | United Party | 337 | 47% | +91 | Won |
| 1990 | 9th District | Virgin Islands Party | 445 | 50.9% | +28 | Won |
| 1995 | 9th District | Virgin Islands Party | 534 | 66.1% | +282 | Won |
| 1999 | 9th District | Virgin Islands Party | 617 | 66.2% | +317 | Won |
| 2003 | 9th District | Virgin Islands Party | 596 | 60.8% | +226 | Won |
| 2007 | 9th District | Virgin Islands Party | 476 | 47% | +9 | Won |
| 2011 | 9th District | Virgin Islands Party | 565 | 49.3% | +28 | Won |
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Hamilton Lavity Stoutt |
Chief Minister of the British Virgin Islands 1995–2003 |
Succeeded by Orlando Smith |
| Preceded by Orlando Smith as Chief Minister of the British Virgin Islands |
Premier of the British Virgin Islands 2007–2011 | |
| Preceded by H. Lavity Stoutt |
Leader of the Opposition 1986-1988 |
Succeeded by Conrad Maduro |
| Preceded by Orlando Smith |
Leader of the Opposition 2003-2007 |
Succeeded by Orlando Smith |
| Leader of the Opposition 2011-2015 |
Succeeded by Julian Fraser | |
| Preceded by Reeial George |
House of Assembly Member, Anegada and Virgin Gorda 1975 - 2015 |
Succeeded by Hubert O'Neal |
References
- ↑ "Ralph T. O'Neal, 9th District Representative". The BVI Review.
- ↑ Then known as the Seventh District; now known as the Ninth District.
- ↑ Although Stoutt has won more election victories than O'Neal, he served a shorter period in the Legislature because (a) he only served a small part of his 11th and final term prior to his death, and (b) during the early part of Stoutt's career, political terms were only 3 years and not 4.
- ↑ "Opposition leader to retire". BVI Beacon. 28 May 2014.
http://www.bviplatinum.com/news.php?page=Article&articleID=1320879676 http://www.bviplatinum.com/news.php?page=Article&articleID=1320925997
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