1971 British Virgin Islands general election

General elections were held in the British Virgin Islands on 2 June 1971. The result was a victory for a coalition of the VI Democratic Party (DP) together with independent candidate Willard Wheatley over the newly formed Virgin Islands Party (VIP) led by former Chief Minister Lavity Stoutt, and incumbent BVI United Party (UP) led by Conrad Maduro.

1971 British Virgin Islands general election
2 June 1971 (1971-06-02)
All seats in the British Virgin Islands Legislative Council
4 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Q.W. Osborne Lavity Stoutt Conrad Maduro
Party VIDP VIP United Party
Leader since 1967 1971 1971
Leader's seat 4th District 1st District 5th District
Last election 2 – 4
Seats won 3 2 1
Seat change 1 New 3
Chief Minister before election

Lavity Stoutt
United Party

 Elected Chief Minister

Willard Wheatley
Independent

Prior to the election Stoutt had was serving as Chief Minister and leader of the UP, but due to internal divisions Stoutt left and formed his new party to contest the election against the UP and the DP, but ended up losing and being replaced by Wheatley as Chief Minister.

The election was also notable for the first female candidate in a British Virgin Islands election: Millicent Mercer contested the 5th District on behalf of the VIP, but lost to Conrad Maduro.

In the 7th District the former representative, Robinson O'Neal, had died in a car crash the prior year.

Results
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
VI Democratic Party3+1
Virgin Islands Party2New
United Party1–3
Independents1New
Total70
Source: BVI Deputy Governor's Office[1]

By constituency
Constituency Candidates Party Winner
1st District H. Lavity StouttVirgin Islands Party H. Lavity Stoutt
Wilfred SmithUnited Party
2nd District Austin HenleyVI Democratic Party Austin Henley
Stanford ConnorIndependent
Prince StouttIndependent
Neville HodgeIndependent
3rd District Oliver CillsVI Democratic Party Oliver Cills
Leopold SmithVirgin Islands Party
4th District Q. William OsborneVI Democratic Party Q. William Osborne
I. Glanville FonsecaPOP
5th District Conrad MaduroUnited Party Conrad Maduro
Henry HodgeVI Democratic Party
Millicent MercerVirgin Islands Party
6th District Willard WheatleyIndependent Willard Wheatley
Terrance B. LettsomeVirgin Islands Party
7th District Reeial GeorgeVirgin Islands Party Reeial George
Ralph T. O'NealVI Democratic Party
Source: BVI Deputy Governor's Office[1]

Appointments

Following the election:[1]

  • Willard Wheatley was appointed Chief Minister and Minister for Education
  • Oliver Cills was appointed Minister for Communications, Works and Industry
  • Q.W. Osborne was appointed Minister for Natural Resources and Public Health
  • Lavity Stoutt became the Leader of the Opposition

References
  1. "BVI election and information results 1950–2011" (PDF). BVI Deputy Governor's Office. pp. 75–77. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 April 2014.
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