Former Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves launched a scathing public critique of New Democratic Party (NDP) figure St. Clair Leacock, accusing him of inconsistency on crime policies, political naivety, and deliberately undermining the leadership of NDP President Godwin Friday.
Gonsalves heavily criticized Leacock for continuously changing his stance on the root causes of crime in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Gonsalves pointed out that Leacock initially blamed the former ULP administration and Gonsalves himself for the country’s surge in criminal activities, only to shift the blame days later to the breakdown of the family structure. Gonsalves demanded that Leacock “make up his mind” and “stop talking out of all different sides of his mouth” regarding the issue.
Furthermore, Gonsalves openly mocked Leacock’s tough-on-crime posturing. He noted that despite Leacock declaring himself the “new sheriff” in town who means business, the “fellas on the block ain’t paying attention” to him and are “just laughing at” him. Gonsalves characterized Leacock’s fluctuating approaches to hard and soft power as “Trumpian” and “all over the place”.
The former Prime Minister also alleged deep internal fractures within the NDP, accusing Leacock of actively challenging Godwin Friday’s leadership. Gonsalves claimed that Leacock deliberately scheduled an event at the exact same time as one hosted by Friday, calling it a “direct challenge” and a “deliberate shot across the bow”. According to Gonsalves, Leacock was well aware of Friday’s schedule beforehand but intentionally failed to postpone his own event or notify Friday’s press secretary. Gonsalves even shared a story from a supporter who claimed to have had a dream where Friday admitted he wanted to seek Gonsalves’ advice, but felt blocked because “Leak and some of the other fellas don’t want him to come”.
Gonsalves advised Leacock to “simply talk less,” arguing that his frequent media appearances are doing more harm than good for the current administration. “Every time he seems to open his mouth, he gets more licks,” Gonsalves stated, adding that the public is questioning “what kind of foolishness is going on here”. Despite this, Gonsalves noted that Leacock still insists on being on the radio “every other day” while his party incorrectly diagnoses their policy failures as mere communication issues.
On matters of national security, Gonsalves painted Leacock as out of his depth and easily manipulated by foreign powers. He criticized Leacock for flip-flopping on the acceptance of refugees, noting that Leacock only changed his policy after American authorities assured him there would be “no reprisals and no punishments”.
Gonsalves warned Leacock that he needs to verify intelligence through multiple sources, arguing that the US security officials Leacock speaks with at regional meetings often do not know what the White House is actually planning. Finally, Gonsalves condemned Leacock for reportedly stating in a recent interview that St. Vincent and the Grenadines is essentially operating as a “local government” under US pressure, a remark Gonsalves views as an unacceptable surrender of the nation’s independence and sovereignty