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Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves. (iWN file photo)
Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves. (iWN file photo)
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Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves says that anyone who breaks ranks with his Unity Labour Party has no political future outside of the organisation.

He made the assertion in Arnos Vale on Sunday, where the party celebrated its 25th anniversary.

The ULP was formed a quarter-century ago with a merger of the then Gonsalves-led Movement for National Unity, and Vincent Beache’s St. Vincent Labour Party.

Since its formation, the party has enjoyed majority support among the Vincentian electorate for 21 years, and has been in office for 18.5 years, Gonsalves noted.

“There is no other political party in CARICOM that can boast such a level of political success,” he told the rally, the highlight of which was a performance by Jamaican artiste Busy Signal and his band.

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Gonsalves said that the ULP is not just a party.

“We are at the heart of the national movement. We are at the centre of the labour movement and even when you have some sell out labour leaders who, for political reasons, oppose the ULP, they are opposing a party which defends the working people and they are acting against their own members’ interest and labour will remain steadfast for the working people of this country,” he said.

Gonsalves said the ULP has a vision, a philosophy, and “a framework of the spirit of   our civilisation, manifested not only through, but very much through successive generations of women of whatever ethnicity.”

He said his party is also regionalist and internationalist that link with like-minded persons and organisation across the region and the world.

“And I tell you this further: anytime anybody within this Unity Labour Party, which is a national movement, the heart of the labour movement and which is a family, and any renegade, any traitor, and any castaway who leave the labour family, they are dead politically.

“I tell you this: we have had one or two opportunist of different ideological shapes and sizes,” he said as someone close to the front of the stage shouted out “Jomo!”

Gonsalves added:

“We have had opportunist of different shapes and sizes but I want to tell you this: you cannot leave the Labour family and say you are interested in the people because the most progressive political movement and organisation in the CARICOM region is the Unity Labour Party and the Unity Labour Party government. So, if you want to say you are interested in people and you become a traitor, a renegade, or a castaway, you are simply an opportunist.

“And I don’t have to speak about any matter other than to stay steadfast to the principles that Vincent Beache and the Unity Labour Party founders set for us.”

ULP 25th celebration rally
ULP supporters at the rally on Sunday. (iWN photo)

Gonsalves said that in 200l two gentlemen “who are persons of substance who thought that they could divide the labour movement, they went into one election in 2001 and since then, we haven’t heard from them in politics again.

“You do not leave the Labour family and survive if you are interested in politics. Not possible because of the way in which we are grounded.”

The prime minister was referring to former ULP parliamentarians, Ormiston “Ken” Boyea and Stanley “Stalky” John, whose People’s Progressive Movement (PPM) performed poorly in the March 2001 elections that brought the ULP to office.

In recent times, some former ULP members, including some who have been candidates or vied to be candidates in elections appear to be courting the main opposition New Democratic Party.

These persons include Michelle Fife, who ran on behalf of the ULP in West Kingstown in 2010, and Kirk Da Silva, who failed in his bid to become the ULP’s candidate for Marriaqua in 2015.

In October, Jomo Thomas, who was the ULP’s candidate for South Leeward in 2015 resigned from the party and as its caretaker for the constituency.

Thomas also indicated that he will resign early next year as Speaker of the House of the Assembly.

He has so far given no indication about whether he still supports the ULP politically or whether he intends to join another political organisation.

Thomas was a founder member of the now-defunct People’s Movement for Change, which was launched in 2008, and whose members had maintained that it was not a political party.   

24 replies on “Anyone quitting ULP is ‘dead politically’ — Gonsalves”

  1. No one can discount Dr. Ralph Gonsalves’ competence in speaking, he knows how to effectively catches the crowds attending, their buy in and patronage. I personally reference him to that of the Brer Anancy story character of olden days in the Caribbean, A character who always makes the comeback. ‘A true that he a say yo nu’ Lol

    1. Rawlston Pompey says:

      LIAT AND JOMO – DOOM AND DEAD – THE PROPHETS – MIA AND RALPH

      Some regional leaders seemed to have a flair with words.

      This appears to be so, either to get a message across to selected audiences, or when things seemed not to be going their way.

      Most recently, speaking to the ‘…financial health’ of the troubled regional airline ‘…LIAT,’ Barbados Prime Minister Mia Motley, was quoted as saying, ‘…under current ownership LIAT is doomed’ [IWN: November 6, 2019].

      Now after an apparent ‘…fractious relationship and eventual breaking of rank by Sanga ‘Jomo’ Thomas, St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, even using a different phrase, has said the same thing.

      He too has reportedly prophesied that ‘…anyone breaking ranks with his organization is politically dead’ [IWN: Para. 10: November 19, 2019].

      Not sure if these two distinguished leaders could be counted upon to say when ‘…God is Coming.’

      Well, there is ‘…Heaven and there is also Hell.’

      It would be interesting to know what they might be prophesying for themselves.

      This, however, is dependent upon where they may be sent when the ‘…Roll is Called Up Yonder.’

  2. A true spectre of hatred and spitefulness. This man thinks he is invincible, he is not. Anyone supporting this man is following in the path of pure evil.

    1. Hashtag Prince says:

      WOW- Arrogance -Words- Demonic!!!

      The Comrade is going too far.
      Up to now he ain’t apologize to the Speaker of the House for his “crawish” remarks.

      I tell you – the Vincention people go give de Comrade a big blow when they vote again.
      Take Barbados as a good lesson in PEOPLE WANTING CHANGE! – (30-0).

      Don’t mind the crowds and the red flags and the red shirts.
      Caribbean people are learning to play a part as Politicians do.
      We waking up to the game.

  3. B Sc. Sociology with a minor in International Relations says:

    Thanks to demagogues like you….our intellect has failed us and we have become politically dead. #bluebolt

  4. Comrade you are very much opinated. Are we living in a democracy or a one party state? Any Vincent I am has the right to join any political party of his choice and be able to flourish once he acts within the arms of the law. So where you are making such a silly statement that any person who leaves the unholy bosom of the Ulp, they are dead politically is a nefarious statement.

  5. Keep them dunce and control them! And it works very well in SVG! That is why Ralph can arrogantly say that there is no “no political future outside of the organisation” of the ULP, but that can never be true for SVG as a whole. Not while some right thinking Vincentians continue to exist here and with an intent to wrestle the country’s affairs away from both he and his family.

    Many Vincentians thought that servitude/Caribbean slavery ended in SVG some time ago, but that was until Ralph Gonsalves and his ULP took to calling themselves socialist, promised the ignorant unlearned mass here something for nothing, took hold of the country and turned it into the Gonsalves family fiefdom, which it has become.

    Bolivia’s former president Evo Morales would have said much the same of Bolivians as did our dictator of Vincentians until last week, but he had to leg it to Mexico for safety, leading Bolivia’s new interim president, Jeanine Áñez to say that the former Stalinist dictator Evo Morales should face justice if he returns. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/11/calls-talks-bolivia-crisis-death-toll-rises-191118021548919.html

    Look at who our dictator are counting among his budding friends, former president of Cuba, former president of Venezuela and the existing president of Venezuela and former president of Bolivia Evo Morales. Quite an unsavoury bunch you could say! These are his “like-minded persons and organisation across the region and the world” that he claims.

    We all know of that person who crawls up close to one in a bar or club pretending to be one’s friend only to beg you for a drink or small changes. Well here is the equivalent. This dictator does this trick with countries when he speaks of “a framework of the spirit of our civilisation, manifested not only through, but very much through successive generations of women of whatever ethnicity.”

    Begging in the name of our country, is the name of the game by the Gonsalves, in place of good economic planning but the dunce masses here are by far too dunce to understand why Gonsalves begs the world over so much.

    All these followers are required to know is how to put on bright Red attire and wave Red flags! Well Long live the Education Revolution scam! Now where is our Captain Cudjoe, our Paul Bogle or our General Tussaint Louverture when we want them? To quote Emiliano Zapata Salazar General of the southern Mexican revolutionary army: “I’d rather die on my feet, than live on my knees”.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toussaint_Louverture However, not for the wilful blind!

  6. Vincy in New York says:

    What is the NDP’s response!?

    Unless the NDP can counteract with buju banton or someone of similar ilk they are dead politically.

    Opposition parties in the Caribbean that recently formed governments opted for top class entertainment. The NDP is still operating in the past.

    The ULP gets it when it comes to bringing out the crowds. Seemingly, it’s 5 in a row!! Oops, ULP is giving them 1 hand.

    One other thing before I go, please inform leacock and Cummings that leadership plays a huge role in electoral politics and to stop saying things or making comments that come across as the party’s position. Let the leader makes these kinds of statements.

    1. This is the kind of dotishness that help to keep our people dotish…not the issues but rather foolishness like this. Thank God I grew in SVG when our people did not have multiple degrees but you could not fool them, and they were proud as ever!

      1. Vincy in New York says:

        Have to be rooted in reality. Dotishness sells. Encourage the NDP to continue to use local artiste and they will surely lose the next election.

        The name of the game is winning! You and the NDP continue with speeches and see the turnout.

        Newly formed governments in st. Kitts, Barbados and st. Lucia understood the value of top notch artists in electioneering. You need to first attract crowds, especially the youths.

        Clearly, u r living in the past.

  7. Gersham Alexander says:

    JAMES H you seem to be a coward hiding behind a pseudonym. You are asking,and I quote, “where is our Captain Cudjoe, our Paul Bogle or our General Tussaint Louverture when we want them?” who are you and what do you plan to offer the people as an alternative? Leave the comrade alone. Mouth off the comrade and the ULP.

    1. No Gersham some of the writers who oppose the Gonsalves dynasty are in danger so the need to remain unknown is important.

      Its you who are the coward for attacking someone when you know you are protected and will come to no harm.

      That big yellow stripe up your back must be embarrassing when you take your shirt off.

    2. This is a lesson about 21st Century Socialism, from an 18th Century Socialist. How many of you read his speeches in Cuba 1-3 November, he pledged himself to them and the communist party and their revolution.

      All this red shirt stuff is part of the Cuban influence.

      They are here protecting him, he has chosen the Cuban/Venezuela path and is leading us down it to destruction.

      I just hope that when this all eventually over the people send him to Cuba, or better still Venezuela.

      We have no army so there can be no military coup, but I suppose we could have a peoples popular uprising. No comrade I am not suggesting such, so stop reading over the sedition act.

      You are an old man, and of the age where death is staring you in the face, with a little help by peoples prayers that may be sufficient. Do you wonder how much time is left, did you fully recover from the boil on the bollocks and the cucumber heal?

  8. MR PM who you think you fooling.You already out live you political usefulness.So don’t come with no bad man talk.You weak politically you weak physically you weak mentally So l think you should stop with your behavior towards people who decides to stop supporting the ULP that type of attitude will not be tolerated in this democratic country . You are a old man act like one You are the oldest prime minister of St Vincent so behave like that.And to make some corrections to your statement.The NDP is the strongest political party in St Vincent for the past 35 years. . The NDP win four election to.And is one of best political party in St Vincent.I naver heard about it’s leaders Raping or worshipping Stan.

  9. Well GERSHAM ALEXANDER cowardice was and never is nor could ever be part of my makeup and for your information neither is any pseudonym. But why are you interested? Reading your reply GERSHAM I am of the opinion that you do enjoy your deprivation and bondage!

    What a shame GERSHAM, your inertia serves to keep your fellow Vincentians in bondage too but you are far too dunce to either care or even notice your own plight or theirs.

  10. Vincentians better wake up. Mr. Prime Minister, you do not care about the working class people, only your cronies get jobs, the qualified Vincentians are victimized

  11. Jamaican dancehall artists should not be relied on to inspire the Vincentian electorate: the candidates and other represetatives of both parties should play that role instead.

    Ivan O’Neal of the Green Party and other commentators might also see it as political ideological bankrupcy of both parties, and some partiots might also view it as inherent weekness in our small islands state.

    At any rate, it might be a good idea for IWNSVG to also share the perspectives of Mr Ivan O’Neal of the Green Party. He normally presents novel ideas for getting St Vincent and the Grenadines on track, and is the only one to emphasise over and over that revenues from fisheries can be in billions of dollars. Arable Land is limited, our waters are almost boundryless.

  12. I remember what happened to a number of people who changed party and some are dead.

    With the exception of Bigga Biggs, they tried to kill him through starvation and spite. But he is a resilient man and overcame. But it cost him his block business and his Rabacca and other property, 30 people out of work, most had children.

    This is more evidence of the spite and malice that this man wishes on anyone he cannot control or own.

    I warned Jomo that he would destroy him, and he will given the opportunity.

    Wow on the World if he ever sits in that security council seat at the UN.

    All those dynasty slaves in red shirts, poor brain washed brethren. They really have been affected by slavery, their ancestors must be crying puddles of tears for them.

    What an absolutely disgusting and evil man.

  13. You are very correct NATIONALIST Ivan O’Neal of the Green Party do have some good ideas for taking us forward and out of this ruling family hold on power.

    But Rum and Dance Music will always deliver to those who like fishing in known waters with the mantra of “keep dem dunce carse ah so dem stay, dem is like children in grown up bodies, dem carr help it an dem know data we are dem betters”.

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