During 18 years of the past 28 years, Saint Lucia has been governed by the Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP). That’s nearly two decades in power. Yet what do we really have to show?
Roads still in poor condition, ports underdeveloped, agriculture left to crumble, tourism never reaching its true potential, our healthcare system needing medical attention, our people left behind with little real investment in human development and now, even our national security has been compromised and is in jeopardy. The south, in particular, has been deliberately kept poor and underdeveloped, trapped in dependency.
Instead of empowering people, SLP has mastered the art of handouts. Short-term fixes that may fill a pocket today but leave no lasting foundation for tomorrow. Just look at the so-called Youth Economy. It was sold as a bold plan to uplift young people, but in practice, it has failed to give real opportunities or create sustainable jobs. The system is breaking down, leaving our youth even more frustrated and dependent. On the other hand, the United Workers Party (UWP) has governed for only ten of those 28 years, and those were some of the most difficult years in modern history. Let’s remember:
- 2007: Hurricane Dean devastated banana crops and agriculture
- 2008–2009: The Global Financial Crisis and Food Crisis hit hard, raising prices and slowing tourism worldwide
- 2009: The St Jude Hospital fire forced the country to rebuild critical health infrastructure, for which the SLP has changed the plan of a modern hospital to a boutique hospital
- 2010: Hurricane Tomas brought destruction, landslides, and loss of life
- 2020: COVID-19 pandemic shut down tourism and trade, threatening the lifeline of our economy
Yet through all of this, the UWP held the line. The economy remained stable. Salaries were paid. Schools and services continued. And beyond simply managing crisis after crisis, the UWP actually built. The road networks across the island from the highways to community roads were developed under UWP leadership. Those roads are not just asphalt. They are the backbone of commerce, tourism, and daily life. That’s real development that people can see and feel.
While SLP was busy handing out crumbs to keep people dependent, UWP focused on empowerment. Policies were put in place to lift people up, not trap them. The UWP’s 20/20 Vision Plan laid out a clear strategy to strengthen every part of our society from agriculture to education, tourism to infrastructure because real leadership is about building systems, not buying loyalty.
Saint Lucia is a small developing country, and in tough times, vision and discipline matter. The record is clear: 18 years of Labour have left us with little progress, weak systems, and growing insecurity. In just ten years, UWP faced crisis after crisis but still delivered stability, development, and hope for the future.
By: C. Brant
Well said editor most of us st Lucians are educated enough to see what is happening and we cannot be bought with alcohol and chicken this Labour Party is not good for st Lucia at ALL WITH THE 1980 VISIONS. little huts politics independents wearing the slip colours and more
This editorial is very political and bias. Be truthful in your discourse. What about all the corruption and give away of St. Lucia patrimony to friends and foreigner?
It appears that you were not in St. Lucia or unaware of the one term of the last administration which was expelled from office after close to six years in govt.
Thank you.
Hi Emmanuel, can you give me one example of the corruption and the giving away St Lucia patrimony to friends and foreigners?
I.w Emmanuel I think you are myopic in your thinking if you can talk about the last administration giving away our patrimony. This current administration record is worse than the previous one when it comes to selling or giving away our patrimony and the sad thing is that between these two administration our future generations will have a very hefty price to pay.