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The Honourable
Natalio Wheatley
MHA
The Honourable Natalio Wheatley MHA
	Wheatley in 2022
Premier of the British Virgin Islands
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; 5 May 2022
Monarchs	Elizabeth II; Charles III
Governor	John Rankin; Daniel Pruce
Preceded by	Andrew Fahie
Deputy Premier of the British Virgin Islands
	In office; 7 August 2020 – 5 May 2022
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Premier	Andrew Fahie
Governor	Augustus Jaspert; John Rankin
Preceded by	Carvin Malone
Succeeded by	Kye Rymer
	In office; 6 March 2019 – 6 June 2019
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Premier	Andrew Fahie
Governor	Augustus Jaspert
Preceded by	Kedrick Pickering
Succeeded by	Kye Rymer
Personal details
Born	2 June 1980 (age 44)
Political party	Virgin Islands Party
Alma mater	Clark Atlanta University; Purdue University; SOAS University of London

Natalio Dixon Wheatley (born 2 June 1980)^[2] is a British Virgin Islands politician currently serving as Premier of the British Virgin Islands.^[3]^[4] He is the grandson of former Chief Minister, Willard Wheatley. He has at times expressed a preference to be referred to by his adopted African name, Sowande Uhuru.^[5]^[6]

Political career

Wheatley is from one of the main political families in the British Virgin Islands.^[7]

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%).^[8] 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%).^[6] He then ran in the 2019 general election for the Virgin Islands Party for the seventh district, and was elected after defeating incumbent Kedrick Pickering with 44.76% of the vote.^[9]

He was appointed Minister for Education, Culture, Youth Affairs, Fisheries and Agriculture from 2019.^[10]^[11] He was the acting Premier during the arrest of Andrew Fahie in April 2022 on drug trafficking and money laundering charges in Miami, United States.^[7] 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.^[12]^[13] On 5 May 2022, he brought a motion of no confidence against his own government for the removal of Andrew Fahie as Premier.^[14] The motion was passed unanimously. Wheatley was sworn in as Premier on the same day.^[15]

Electoral history


Year	District	Party	Votes	Percentage	Winning/losing margin	Result
2011	At-large	People's Patriotic Alliance	798	2.3%	-3,424	Lost
2015	At-large	People's Empowerment Party	470	1.3%	-4,160	Lost
2019	7th District	Virgin Islands Party	384	44.8%	+46	Won
2023	7th District	Virgin Islands Party	487	57.0%	+120	Won

Political offices
Preceded by Kedrick Pickering	House of Assembly Member, 7th District 2019–present	Incumbent
Preceded by Andrew Fahie	Premier of the British Virgin Islands 2022–present	Incumbent