Central Kingstown MP St. Clair Leacock has rejected suggestions that he should replace Opposition Leader Godwin Friday ahead of the next general elections, expected later this year.
“… let me be very emphatic about this. I’m a vice president of the Democratic Party. He who must lead must learn to follow,” Leacock said on Boom FM, in response to the suggestion by commentator Lanceford Weekes, a retired public servant, who is widely perceived as a supporter of the ruling Unity Labour Party (ULP)
Weekes was permanent secretary in the Ministry of Health in 2011 when government MPs blocked a meeting of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), the agenda of which included looking into the purchase of large amounts of Kentucky Fried Chicken by a programme under his ministry.
The PAC has not met since and Weekes has been making calls for the committee, which is, traditionally, chaired by the leader of the opposition, to convene.
“I will be the consummate follower, and I will defend the record of performance currently of Dr. Friday,” Leacock, who is one of two vice presidents of the NDP, said on Boom FM in response to Weekes.
In 2017, Friday, who has been MP for the Northern Grenadines since March 2001 and was then also an NDP vice president, replaced Arnhim Eustace as leader of the NDP.
Leacock had publicly expressed his disappointment with the outcome but has since lined up behind Friday, who led the NDP into the general election in 2020, when the NDP won the popular vote for the first time since 1998.
In his comments last week, he praised Friday’s leadership of the NDP, likening his efforts to those of the party’s founder, former prime minister the late Sir James Mithcell, even as he acknowledged the work done by Eustace.
“He really bends his back, he works exceedingly hard, and he provides effective leadership,” Leacock said of Friday, adding, “He’s pervasive. He’s all across all 15 constituencies.
“I am not going to do anything whatsoever to undermine his leadership authority. And he does have significant respect inside and outside of the New Democratic Party. I’m confident he will lead us into the next general elections,” Leacock said.
He further said that once the NDP wins the election, Louise Mithcell, a lawyer who is also Sir James’ daughter, will be a cabinet member.
Louise Mitchell failed in her bid to become the NDP’s candidate for West St. George, when she lost the constituency council vote to Kaschaka Cupid, who has been confirmed as the candidate, pending Nomination Day requirements.
Leacock said the suggestions that he should replace Friday as NDP leader do not get to his head.
He said that daily he meets “people who have respect for my historical and current service as a leader in the country, but I reiterate, he who must lead must learn to follow.
“It is my job now to do nothing that will disrupt or undermine Dr. Friday’s leadership of the party, and he has significant support among all of us as members in the very good example he’s setting to take us into the political victory.”
Leacock said there has been no need to raise NDP leadership with Friday.
“I think Dr. Friday recognises what is my worth and I think he appreciates my support for him,’ said Leacock, who acts as NDP leader when Friday is overseas and sometimes represents Friday at national events.
“… there’s something unique in the New Democratic Party. Leadership revolves and evolves,” he said, adding that there are issues on which the various NDP parliamentarians, including senators, take leadership roles.
“But at any given time in an organisation, and more so in a political party, there could only be one leader at a time. That leader today is Dr. the Honourable Godwin Friday,” Leacock said.
The host of the show told Leacock that messages were coming in saying that he should be the leader of the NDP.
“Well, you would hear that, but I would not allow it to be divisive with respect to the New Democratic Party. This is a time for us to be laser-focused on the challenge that is ahead of us,” Leacock said.
“We are currently ahead of the game. We have taken a good and decent lead, and we are going to pace ourselves and be mindful of what is challenging before us. We perform until the last vote is counted. We come out of the polling stations knowing that we have delivered and that salvation is at hand.”
General elections are widely expected by November, ahead of the February 2026 constitutional deadline.
Is only a black man could feel a black man pain Friday an Ralph is not black they are Portuguese
General elections are widely expected by November, ahead of the February 2026 constitutional deadline. This is a another paid ad by the ULP
It is with much amusement that I read this article. The tried and tested approach of political contenders, spokespersons, and surrogates to seek to sow division and create divisiveness in their opponents will never cease. These efforts can only be dismissed out of hand as my friend Major did. Just think of the origins of these efforts the pop up from time to time. In this case, Lanceford Weekes?? He-l-l-oo! Nuff said. The only thing to chuckle over is that id the leadership roles and positions were reversed, the vey utterers of these comments would be calling for someone to seek to remove Leacock!! You just can’t win this one, can you??
Why not go and tell de little school yard bully to go home and dodo and bato should take over ? an u go eat yo kenucky chicken in peace? go mind de business of those who maybe paying you and leave other people alone,, is it a setup ?
THE HONEST TRUTH ABOUT WHAT LEACOCK IS SAYING MAKES A LOT OF SENSE, AT THIS POINT AND TIME WITH A GENERAL ELECTION AROUND THE CORNER, THIS IS NO TIME SENSIBLY AND POLITICALLY FOR ANY SORT OF LEADERSHIP STRUGGLE TO BE GOING ON IN ANY MAJOR POLITICAL PARTY ESPECIALLY AT THIS CROSSROADS WHERE THE POLITICAL LEADER OF THE NDP IS POLITICALLY STRONG IN HIS CONSTITUENCY
Someone trying to sow discord into the NDP. Seems like Comrade running scared.