Could Keisal Peters Restore West Kingstown to the Glory Days of the St. Vincent Labour Party?

Keisal Peters in her business’ branded attire Photo: Rico DeShong.

The views expressed herein are solely those of the writer.

Among all the Kingstown seats, West Kingstown has a strong historical connection to the Labour Movement. Did you know that Hudson Tannis of the St. Vincent Labour Party (SVLP) won with the largest margin in West Kingstown in 1974? He secured victory with 1,698 votes, while John Horne received the highest number of votes in the 1989 elections with 1,510 votes. Additionally, Rene Baptiste won by the smallest margin in 2001, claiming victory by just 9 votes, with a total of 1,961 votes compared to the New Democratic Party’s (NDP) 1,829 votes and People’s Political Movement (PPM) 123 votes.

By 2010, the NDP had taken the lead in West Kingstown, winning by a margin of 505 votes. This lead decreased to 444 votes in 2015 and then increased to 714 votes in 2020. The leadership of the ULP must take some responsibility for its current standing in West Kingstown.

Rene Baptiste was publicly recognised as the best Minister of Tourism by some NDP members for her role in promoting tourism and culture on the world stage, which is a notable achievement. Who can forget Rene’s television interview, where she responded to constituents complaining about not seeing her in the constituency by asking if they weren’t seeing her on TV? This highlights a misunderstanding of the role of a Member in Parliament, who failed to balance responsibilities as a government minister and a constituency representative. This type of misrepresentation has plagued many governments.

Your role as Minister won’t translate to your constituency unless the people you represent can see tangible benefits. Returning to the initial question: Could Keisal Peters restore West Kingstown to the glory days of the SVLP? It’s Keisal versus Cummings. Is Keisal’s entry into politics for the long haul? Would she still be present for the people of West Kingstown if the NDP wins the next general elections? Does Keisal have strong political aspirations to become Prime Minister? She has certainly brought some energy to her political entry. However, politics requires more than just energy in speeches; it requires patience, humility, compassion, love for service, and a willingness to listen and learn. If Keisal truly wants to serve, there could be a role for her in politics as a representative for West Kingstown—not necessarily in the 2025 election, but perhaps in 2030.

Cummings has gained some media recognition from his recent presentation in Parliament, where he confronted Camillo by stating that the money Camillo was asking for doesn’t belong to him or his father, Ralph; it belongs to the taxpayers of this country, both those who are alive and those yet to be born. This was clearly Cummings at his best, especially compared to the last two years when his energy was very low-key. Cummings is likely to retake West Kingstown, but the margin of victory will be crucial to watch. Is West Kingstown one of those seats, like Southern Grenadines, where the ULP is trying to gain more votes? If they win in 2025 by a 9/6 or 8/7 seat majority, they will also be aiming for the popular vote.

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The writer would like to remain anonymous.

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