On Sunday night, I watched with interest as the “special guest” took the stage at the youth rally to speak on behalf of the ULP. I use the phrase “speak on behalf of” rather than “endorse” because, for those who are familiar with her, what she delivered sounded more like another appeal for help than genuine support for the ULP. It is a pattern that has been misunderstood many times before.
Even Candyman, who introduced her on Sunday, once reached the same conclusion many arrive at after interacting with her closely for any significant period of time. Perhaps she and Candyman have both chosen to overlook this now.
Unlike her, I have supported Labour my entire life. But, unlike her, my uncertainty today has nothing to do with anger at the NDP. My frustration arises from how my own party has handled several issues since taking office, particularly over the last five years, including the vaccine mandate.
Her speech on Sunday night did nothing to reaffirm my connection to the ULP. If anything, it made me reflect more deeply on Mike Browne’s commentary, and I now find myself leaning toward his position of not voting. Because if I enter a polling station on Thursday, I am certain that my vote will be cast against the ULP.
Yes, she is intelligent, articulate, confident and attractive, but she is not what the ULP needs at this moment. The warning signs remain visible, and anyone who reviews her past can see exactly what I mean. Have we forgotten that she once called Curtis King a “disgrace” on national radio? Or that she said Keisal Peters amounted to little more than a wardrobe and a hair salon? Is Prime Minister Dr. Ralph still considered an “ancient cusser”? How has it been possible for her to overlook so quickly the lifetime of victimisation she said she suffered under the ULP?
I follow politics in SVG closely. She left the NDP and publicly criticised the party on the radio and social media. I cannot recall anyone in the NDP’s leadership or platform speakers saying anything (good or bad) about her — not even after she appeared in a campaign video speaking against the NDP (as opposed to speaking in support of the ULP). The NDP’s response was to wish her well when she harshly criticised them on the radio after serving for a few months as head of their youth arm.
Perhaps they eventually recognised the real motivation behind her outbursts. Perhaps they regretted ignoring those who warned against making her their youth leader. Perhaps they realised that angry people need help, not a platform to spew it.
Those who listened closely enough last night might understand why her stint in the NDP was so short-lived. What is certain is that, like the NDP before us, we have welcomed her into the ULP and placed her in a position of visibility. They, like us, were taken by her confidence and eloquence.
Because of this commentary, she might start to pay closer attention to herself. However, I hope we remember what she said last night about breaking protocol, resetting protocol, and attempting to reset the narrative. If we forget, I will provide a reminder. Like the NDP, members of our party are already sounding a warning. However, unlike the NDP, they are doing so publicly. Is anyone listening?
Watching Closely
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She is nothing but an opportunist and nobody with an iota of common sense will take her seriously. She done nothing but more harm to the ULP, which shows that they are so desperate right not that all you have to spew is anti-NDP antics and they would welcome you with open arms.