Political commentator Jomo Thomas is advising the newly elected government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines to hire an “overarching” communications specialist to better manage its public image and messaging.
Speaking on the OMG in the morning radio program on Boom FM 106.9, Thomas noted that while the administration is still enjoying a “honeymoon” period with the electorate, there have been a few “own goals” that require a sturdier defensive strategy.
“There are some things that need to be planned and said and presented to the public in ways in which they are not now being planned… and presented,” Thomas stated.
Thomas clarified that his recommendation was not a critique of the Prime Minister’s current press secretary, but rather a call for a broader administrative communications director. To illustrate his point, Thomas referenced a recent scheduling conflict that drew opposition criticism, where a government press conference was held at the exact same time the Prime Minister was speaking at a separate function. Thomas argued that an overarching communications specialist would successfully manage these logistical overlaps.
Minister of National Security and Deputy Prime Minister, Major St. Clair Leacock, who was a guest in the studio during the broadcast, warmly received the advice. Leacock confirmed that the administration is already moving to appoint a communications director and plans to strengthen Vera’s role as press secretary.
“My first statement in cabinet to my colleagues is that communications is 80% of the work of a minister of government,” Leacock noted, adding that without proper communication, an administration can find itself “into a lot of trouble”.
Despite the critique regarding public relations coordination, Thomas did commend the new government for a major shift in its governance style. He praised the administration for allowing individual ministers to speak authoritatively on issues within their own portfolios—such as agriculture or national security—rather than deferring every public pronouncement to the Prime Minister.
Leacock agreed with Thomas’s positive assessment of this decentralized communication style, stating that allowing individual ministers a chance to speak and be seen by the public is exactly “how organizations grow and how leadership flourishes”.