My time as Speaker was one of BVI’s most successful

“I reject your characterisation that it was comical … I am proud to say that I served as Speaker for three and a half years, and we’ve had one of the most successful tenures of a Speaker of the House of Assembly.” — Julian Willock

Former Speaker of the House of Assembly Julian Willock says he believes his tenure was one of the BVI’s most successful, despite the controversies and public criticism that frequently surrounded his tenure.

Willock made the remarks during a recent appearance on the Too Inquisitive Podcast, where he reflected on his three-and-a-half years as Speaker and defended his leadership of the territory’s legislature. “I am proud to say that I served as Speaker for three and a half years, and we’ve had one of the most successful tenures of a Speaker of the House of Assembly,” Willock said.

His comments come at a time when he has once again been thrust into the public spotlight, following reports that Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley is seeking to recruit him as a special advisor to the government — a move that has sparked debate across the territory, given the controversies that marked Willock’s time in public office.

Defending his record

According to Willock, several institutional developments within the legislature began during his time as Speaker and have continued under the current administration. Among them, he said, were strengthened relationships with parliamentary bodies in the United Kingdom and initiatives to modernise the operations of the House of Assembly.

Willock pointed to a recent visit to the territory by UK House Speaker Lindsay Hoyle as an example of work that began during his tenure.

“We had a delegation in my tenure to the United Kingdom, where we met with the Speaker,” he said, explaining that the exchanges helped support initiatives such as member orientation programmes and the development of a parliamentary library.

He added that he is pleased to see current Speaker Corine George-Massicote continuing some of the initiatives started during his leadership.

“I think Madam Speaker is doing a good job carrying on the things that we have started,” Willock said.

The famous wig

During the podcast interview, Willock rejected suggestions that he was not taken seriously by the public during his tenure, particularly over viral social media clips that mocked moments from House sittings and his decision to wear a traditional parliamentary wig.

“The wig was not mandatory. I wore the wig because I chose to. I wanted to be different. There were other people wearing wigs before my time. I remember the speaker Keith Flax, who served longest as speaker, he wore a wig,” Willock said, adding that he adopted the practice in keeping with parliamentary tradition.

He also pushed back against the notion that the viral moments circulating on social media reflected poorly on his leadership. “I reject your characterisation that it was comical,” he told the host. “The fact of the matter is that we’ve had a successful term.”

Despite the controversies, supporters argue that the businessman remains an experienced political strategist and would bring value to the government. For his part, Willock maintains that his legacy as Speaker should be judged by the institutional developments achieved during his tenure. “We worked on a number of things for the House of Assembly,” he said. “And I’m happy to see those things bearing fruit.”