New Democratic Party vice-president St. Clair Leacock has welcomed the victory of Dwight Fitzgerald Bramble, his party’s candidate in East Kingstown, and described his opponent, Luke Browne, as the most disrespectful person in politics in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
In the Nov. 5 general elections, Bramble, a first-time candidate, defeated Browne, who was making his third attempt to win the seat for the Unity Labour Party.
During the campaign, Browne described Bramble as a “Johnny-come-lately” who will not be allowed to impose himself on constituents.
“Plenty thing ain’t talk yet. But there’s a lot of thing to talk in this election campaign. Because if anybody feel that they can impose themselves on the people of East Kingstown, anybody without scruples or morals or anything at all, going to impose themselves on the people of East Kingstown, going to come from where they come from, and interrupt a process and a programme, which is intended to deliver maximum benefit for the people of that constituency, they wouldn’t be coming up against Luke Browne, they will be coming up against the electorate, and the electorate will speak with a vengeance,” Browne said during a campaign even in July.
“I am glad that Fitz won and won so comfortably in East Kingstown, because of all the people in this election, I think he had the most vilification, the worst character assassination and from people and households who have no authority, none whatsoever, to speak derogatorily about him,” Leacock said on NICE Radio on Monday.
“I have never met a more disrespectful person in politics than Luke Browne; never met a more disrespectful person in politics than I’ve met in Luke Browne,” said Leacock, who was elected to a third term as MP for Central Kingstown.
Leacock noted Browne comments in Parliament on Oct. 8, when opposition lawmakers paid tribute to former prime minister, minister of finance and opposition leader, Arnhim Eustace, on what turned out to be his penultimate day as an MP.
Parliament was dissolved the following day, bringing to an end Eustace’s 22 years as MP for East Kingstown.
The 76-year-old economist did not seek re-election.
Leacock said that Browne, a senator and minister of health in the last government, “felt compelled” to make a statement in response to the tributes.
“You would think that he would want to say, ‘Mr. Eustace, I’ve been grateful to be here at your feet for the last so many years and to learn from you and to wish you good health and retirement.’
“The arrogance and ignorance and rudeness had to go on. ‘But I’m sorry, you couldn’t run a third time so I could beat you.’ That’s him speaking,” Leacock said of Browne’s comments.
“I never spoke to Sir Vincent Beache like that you know, even though they are people who fired me, but I always felt that his five, 10, 15 years on me, gave him a certain degree of respect,” Leacock said, referring to a former minister of national security, who died last year.
“You don’t speak to your elders that way — political opponents or not. You don’t speak to them that way. That’s why I don’t speak to [Sir Louis] Straker in a particular kind of way, unless they provoke me. But that’s how he saw himself.”
Leacock said that during the electoral contest, Bramble, an economist and former educator, national footballer and diplomat, “asserted that the values and the character were imbued in him by his parents, his mother”.
He said Bramble’s mother must have been proud of him in that he was prepared to leave his job and “secure future” in Canada and return to SVG to enter politics.
“Not like the others come in as grave diggers into a party that is in government, came into a party that is in opposition and in a seat that was contentious,” Leacock said, adding that Eustace, because of his “limitation” could not go around the constituency for the last few years.
Eustace has been battling ill health for the past few years and now uses a walking cane.
Leacock said that Bramble’s victory “confirmed in the end that people remembered Mr. Eustace, they rewarded Mr. Eustace.
“So much of what is there for Fitz is also a reflection and depth of gratitude they have for Mr. Eustace,” Leacock said, adding that it was also a reflection of appreciation for Eustace’s predecessors, Carlyle Dougan and Eddie Griffith.
“… because that constituency has been well served from 1984 by some of the best characters, politician and men of stature in the New Democratic Party, from Eddie Griffith to Carlyle Dougan now to Fitz Bramble.
“And I have no doubt that he will be a tremendous compliment to the New Democratic Party and to Dr. [Godwin] Friday and his team.
“So I am taking this opportunity again to thank the people East Kingstown on his behalf,” Leacock said.
One day after the election, a video emerged on social media of an inconsolable Browne crying as he was being surrounded by party supporters, some of who were chanting his name.
On Tuesday, in Kingstown, at the swearing in of the Cabinet, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said Browne will be going to London soon to do his professional law exams and will return within a year.
Indeed he was very out of place. And I believe that that is his character. He could never measure up to what Mr. Eustace has contributed to this country. His aspirations to my mind are all for self-glory. He needed to be humbled. He will NEVER get a vote from me in East Kingstown. I really do not care who the other candidate(s) is (are).
Lol go easy on the fool he reluctantly wolf down the humble pie now his tail is bxt his legs. Good riddance.
Eustace was an Economist? wow for Miss Williams Bakery in Middle Street? Luke Brown is a Moran and an Idiot from day one. He cannot make a sentence, do you listen to him speak. It was/is a disgrace he was minister of health, guess Ralph doesn’t understand anything about health either, to place him there in the first place. Luke should continue taking people on his back to Soufriere and make it a full time job. Backfire on you Ralph, hey Camillo I have a hammer for you to beat your chest, tell me where to deliver it to you. He was in Leeward calling Patel Rum shop politics, what he dosen’t know rum shop politics means a lot to guys. I am not a Patel fan but he is a Champion. They all say they do not drink, what do they do for fun? How do you think Dennie and John Thompson use to win election in Leeward? Ever weekend, them fellas, pass through, they leave a bottle for their supports in every village. This party does not give people road work for them to get a couple pennies. Farmers cannot even walk on those roads to reap their crops. Camillo, Carlos, Luke, Sabato, all think they are somebody, they are not, none of them have a pot to piss in, not even two nickels to rub together.
Peter I agree with all your comments except this “none of them have a pot to piss in, not even two nickels to rub together” I am surprised that you do not know what almost everyone else knows. You cannot be a member or supporter of the dynasty and be potless. They are swimming in it, stinking is a word that come to mind.
I would enquire why Mr Leacock has been so kind to him here, he deserved much worse, and I know Leacock could have given him worse.
In the UK if he steps out of line they will slap him around a bit to straighten him up. I wonder if the comrade paid for this law degree to get rid of him. The best way to get rid of someone is to promote them and then dump them.
I don’t think that fitz had wanted to get personal with luke. Because he would of cry long before the election results.And now he is going to be a lawyer most likely.Then the whole country will know what old people mean when they say guava don’t bear lime.
Get rid of luke Brown, boy your shoe to big for your foot , humble yourself.
The problem with Luke lies in the fact that his dad advised him that he was better than the rest, a potential prime minister in waiting. This superiority complex has fizzled in his brain for a long time and is now manifested in his disrespect for am elderly opponent.
Humility is severely lacking. What I was amazing stemmed from the fact that he was not reprimanded by the uncontiable world boss.Luke one day will be forced to humble especially in his new environment in the Uk. This reminds me of the old adage, “being a big fish in a small pond”. The electorate surely gave a lesson in Humility 101.
What goes around comes around, , hope he live long enough to be disrespectful.
The wheels of justice grinds slowly, but Surely.
From the comments here and on Facebook, I think the majority concur with the Major’s sentiments.