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Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, left, and former South Leeward MP Jerry Scott. (File photos)
Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, left, and former South Leeward MP Jerry Scott. (File photos)
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Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves says that former MP for South Leeward Jerry Scott was “an outstanding member of the NDP, the NDP government”.

Gonsalves, whose government delayed the payment of Scott’s gratuity after he and his party were voted out of office in March 2001, made the comment on radio on Monday.

The prime minister’s praise of Scott came as he accused MP for South Leeward, Nigel “Nature” Stephenson, who succeeded Scott as the NDP’s candidate for South Leeward, of “opportunism” when he planned to honour Scott last week.

Scott did not attend the honouring event, which formed part of a rally to open Stephenson’s new constituency office.

He told iWitness News on Wednesday that he had already committed to attending a funeral when he was told of the honouring event, but was and is still prepared to accept the honour.

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In his radio comments, Gonsalves said:

“Look Jerry was an outstanding member of the NDP, the NDP government. And the people validated him as the parliamentary representative …  from … July 1984 to March 2001.  Just a little short of 17 years. Now, he had been a pretty good parliamentary representative.”

The prime minister noted that Scott was a government minister while he represented South Leeward and had been a senator before then.

“And every election, the NDP, since 2001, the NDP goes towards Jerry to try to butter him up — opportunistically. All in between, they don’t seem to have much time for Jerry until election time.

“Because they consider that Jerry has had and he would still have, particularly among some of his older supporters, certain influence that these people may have affection for him,” the prime minister said.

Gonsalves suggested the form that an honouring of Scott should take.

“Now if you really going to honour the man — and I give a summary background about him — you going honour him at essentially an event whose main purpose is the launching of an office and gathering maybe, I don’t know 100, 150 people or whatever the number people you’re gathering, or do you have a special event properly organised whether at a convention or you have a special event for his honouring?”

The prime minister said such an honouring should be devoted entirely to Scott.

“You have his family, his children in different parts of the world; make sure that they come back. I’m giving them advice as to how to do things. Perhaps some proper present for him, maybe even get a brochure prepared with photographs of projects, which Jerry did. Things with which he was associated nationally, have photographs with him in different circumstances a booklet, 10, 15, 20 pages,” Gonsalves said.

He said such a brochure should be long on photos and short on words.

Gonsalves continued: “… maybe even at the same time, you get one of these bright young men who can research the archival material from radio stations and from TV station to put something together to show on the evening when you honour him, maybe on a special half an hour programme on television. Well, that’s an honour. But what you do there is an afterthought.”

The prime minister said he did not know why Scott was not present at Saturday’s event.

“So I’m not getting into that,” he said.

He continued:

“But this just shows you that these guys are not prepared for governance. If you treat a man like Jerry that way the people in South Leeward must be saying, ‘Well, how would the NDP treat us?’ That’s an obvious question.”

Gonsalves said he and Scott have been “political competitors not in the same constituency, but we but we have an on-going respect for each other.

“And Jerry’s wife is a magnificent woman and the children I mean, they are accomplished, for instance, a medical doctor, but that’s not the only one…

“Look, treat the man with some respect and some dignity… not even a proper curry goat game? I mean it’s pathetic. It shows weak leadership on the part of the NDP and it shows their lack of planning,” the prime minister said.

11 replies on “PM gives ideas on honouring ‘outstanding’ Jerry Scott”

  1. Nobody asked you! Always have a comment on things that don’t concern you, but on essential national issues like violence against women and child abuse, baffling silence.

  2. Urlan Alexander says:

    Ralph oye! You feel you have the answer for everything eh? My advice is to keep out of the NDP business. Now that you have heard Jerry side of the story how do you feel now? How did you honor those who represented your party in the past? Why don’t you sue for the dismal performance of the country”s economy? At this juncture it is evident that your influence is waning and it a high time you stop your foolishness.

  3. So he has managed to freeze the brains of all his supporters and now want to come to dictate what happens in a party and people that he hates so Much????

    The ULP supporters needs to understand what has happened to them. They dare not speak out or criticize their party. The NDP supporters are still free to criticize their party.

    Vincentians are you better off today under the ULP or when you worked under the NDP??

    Be honest with your soul and this will help you to make an informed decision in the next General elections!!

  4. Bill johnney says:

    CAMILLE, you may not like the PM, but what he is saying is 100% correct. Everyone knows that Jeremiah Scott was an outstanding parliamentarian and Representative of the people of South Leeward and to only remember him at election time is distasteful. Scott and John Horne was overlooked by JFM when he gave the leadership of the party to Eustace but it seems to me it’s a trend within the NDP, they have no time and regards for the grass-root men and women of the NDP.

  5. Brown Boy US says:

    Mind yo own business! Why don’t you find ways of honoring those from your own party who have contributed to you being there and stop making this into one of your political nonsense. Remember Glen Jackson, Vincent Beach…

  6. Ralph is sick. Clearly he is the opportunist. He’s trying to see if he can get Scott to leak anything about the NDP that he can capitalise on for the next general elections. If Scott is outstanding as he (Ralph) claims then doesn’t he (Ralph) realise he won’t be able to weave him into his spider web? What is low person Ralph is. Why is he acting so desperate?

  7. Patsy friend lol says:

    Patsy with all respect we were and will be more happier working under the rule of NDP (Lol) because there were multiple jobs in farming. Keep in mind, that we don’t need much education to do farming. Remember banana we could of just drop out of school and go work in the banana field. As the key thing to remember, that in time NDP, if a child failed common entrance and didn’t have another chance, they could have gone to work in the banana field. Teenagers who got pregnant didn’t have another chance to correct their mistakes, but I guess that was ok with you Patsy because Again, they could of worked in the banana field. Patsy I guess you enjoyed the Banana plantation. Don’t get me wrong, I wish that the banana industry was still flourishing because it did benefit our country, but giving people a chance at education is also pertinent for the development of the country. Oh and Patsy, things and times change look at the historical methods. While we are sad that banana is gone (What NDP and James Mitchel was good) lets give the education revolution under ULP a chance because is pertinent in contemporary society.

    1. the phrase is not ‘could of,’ its ‘could have.’ I see you are one of the victims of the Education revolution. Lollol.

  8. Thom spoody says:

    It would appear that the comrade may have worn the colourful dress at the NDP’s dance and has even played his own tune to their music but doesn’t that in itself is equally called ‘opportunism’ as well? For all I know, all that are only some of the ‘political jabs and punches’ that politicians are engaged in when running into an election season.

  9. I noticed that I had to do some grammatical corrections for “Patsy Friend lol.” But he took the lessons, corrected his grammatical mistakes and deleted my comments. He is a perfect example of a victim of the Education Revolution. He does not know when to use, ‘Could have’ instead of ‘Could of..”
    But want to come here to challenge people about the ULP.

    Big, Big Sighs for our Vincentians!!!

  10. Ralph is trying to get on Jerry Scott”s good side, in hopes of having him champagne for him, or get his constituents to vote for him.. why now! you just realized how valuable a member of the NDP he was..

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