Ralph T. O'Neal

For the World War I ace aviator, see Ralph Ambrose O'Neill.

The Honourable Ralph O'Neal OBE
File:Ralph T. O'Neal (cropped).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	(1933-12-15) 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) 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 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 , and his 10 election victories (including one uncontested) are second only to Lavity Stoutt in the Territory's political history. Ralph O'Neal has indicated that he will stand down at the next general election.

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

Ralph T. O'Neal 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

http://www.bviplatinum.com/news.php?page=Article&articleID=1320879676 http://www.bviplatinum.com/news.php?page=Article&articleID=1320925997