St Vincent Deputy PM St Clair Leacock framed the creation and “resurrection” of a new middle class as a primary responsibility and fundamental objective of the current administration,. “This goal is tied to a broader vision of social and economic transformation aimed at lifting the population to a higher and more solid platform”.
Leacock compared the current goal of creating a new middle class to past successes in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Specifically, he referenced the acquisition of lands in South Central Windward that created a “new economic class” of landowners, as well as educational investments that established an “education class,” allowing citizens to move upward socially.
It was noted that while past censuses made it easy to see how many new middle-class people were created, current census data is less clear and mentioned that today, one would have to “extrapolate to get that statistic,” yet he insisted that the administration must take responsibility for fostering this growth regardless of the data difficulties.
Leacock used the phrase “Way horse reach donkey must reach” to describe a trajectory where every citizen—from those earning basic wages to those in learning programs—experiences a continuous improvement in their quality of life.
The “resurrection” of this class is intended to be a core outcome of the estimates and upcoming 2026 budget. Leacock argued that the administration will be measured by its ability to transform the lives of the people “for all times” within a very short period.
“This focus on the middle class complements the administration’s other “people-centered” initiatives such as the VAT free day, which provided immediate financial liquidity to citizens, and the $500 pension contributions for the most vulnerable”,. Together, these efforts are presented as a cohesive strategy to move citizens away from vulnerability and toward a stable middle-class status.”