PRESS RELEASE
The United Progressive Party (UPP) expresses its grave disappointment and deep concerns having heard and read the Throne Speech delivered yesterday, January 15, 2021.
It is the political obligation of a sitting Administration to advise the Nation of its plans and programmes for any new year. But at a time of such economic and social insecurity, for the Government to do less – and appallingly less – is a clear abdication of duty.
After 50 minutes of listening to the Governor-General’s delivery, we, the Citizens and Residents, are none the wiser about where this Administration intends to take this country or how it intends for us to get there – if anywhere.
All we heard and read was a litany of praise for Ministers and Ministries whose performance in 2020 was sub-par by any objective yardstick. No apologies, no regrets, no empathy for the suffering, sacrifice or losses of the past year. No plans, no vision, no investment for the year ahead.
We agree that, on account of the pandemic, these are not normal times. But the challenges we face because of COVID-19 are not unique to us. Every country in the world has been forced to double down, to become creative, to expend greater efforts to keep their economies afloat and to meet the needs of all their people, in particular the socially and medically vulnerable.
Friday’s Throne Speech addressed none of the concerns of The People and met none of our expectations.
None! Not those of the business sector; the medical community; the Social Security pensioners; the under-employed or unemployed; the youth … no one.
Even as it acknowledges that our economic fortunes will not greatly improve until late 2021, perhaps, it appears that this Administration has given no thought to a stimulus for local businesses, or concessions for entrepreneurs, or expansion of the social programmes, or cushion for those in special circumstances.
For individuals and families in free-fall, migration is not even an option. We are all forced to stay here and tough it out. Surely, then, it is the role and duty of the Government to share with The People its mitigation strategies.
Given the absence of vision, plans, programmes or methodologies from the Government’s blueprint for 2021, the UPP must conclude that these simply do not exist.
We must imagine that the Government intends to make it up as it goes along – much as it did in the past six years, when we heard promises of investments that have never been realized; witnessed ground-breakings for projects that never got off the ground; and learned of land and money deals that benefitted Ministers and their associates, but never The People.
The UPP concludes, therefore, that the Antigua Labour Party Administration, under the leadership of Prime Minister Gaston Browne, is devoid of vision, ideas and strategies for taking our country forward, and that the Throne Speech is nothing but an admission of its bankruptcy.
Advertise with the mоѕt vіѕіtеd nеwѕ ѕіtе іn Antigua!
We offer fully customizable and flexible digital marketing packages.
Contact us at [email protected]
*yawn*
Next!
I think Lovell and the UPP should be quite because they are not saying anything that is innovative, futuristic, or new.
Absolutely nothing.
If a party is not pushing Artificial intelligence as the way forward they need to go back to the past.
You Harold “Creative Convention” Lovell are the one who is bankrupt of ideas.
Rotten a morning cyan turn fresh a evening.
Remember – this is how you won your UPP Convention…
https://vimeo.com/500123197
…and you have zero credibility.
YOU TOLD MANY LIES ON THE SNAKE PIT:
“198 new members joined UPP, replacing those who left”
FACT: Most of these so called new members were youth picked up around Parham who were paid to join the St. Peter branch to support Peter Redz during the primary. They do not have any meaningful involvement today in the St. Peter’s branch. It was this paid victory which caused Chaneil Imhoff to flee your corrupt institution.
FACT: 25 members resigned from the St. Paul branch in the wake of the corrupt efforts to block the primary. Many more UPP members who were NOT known leaders have also left many other branches or have become inactive in the wake of many instances of corruption and purging, from the Creative Convention coming forward.
“All of the people who left UPP were defeated in a primary”
FACT: Driftwood never stood in any primary, nor did Trevor Young. The Leadership fought to stop primaries in St. Paul and All Saints West, fighting against peoples UPP constitutional rights. A primary was only held in Rural East as a sham, with the opponent to Bird already knowing the outcome. Trevor withdrew due to a rigged process. Driftwood withdrew from the process after he was falsely accused of taking money to pursue a primary (which, again, is his constitutional right) and after being slandered on UPP radio. But for the “creative” methods employed, he may well be working beside the present candidate today. But that is not the Lovell/Isaac way. You and your alter ego believe in amputation, not building cooperation.
“We have no ill will towards those who left”
FACT: That is a lie from the pit of hell. Indeed those in the know are well aware of the UPP’s culture of vengeance. All candidates and supporters who did not endorse Harold and Co during the Creative Convention have been systematically targeted and rooted out through various means. There is no moderation or restraint in the UPP towards those who STAYED with the party, much less those who have departed. This has had the unintended consequence of weakening branches and alienating many key workers. Smooth talk on radio cannot undo this damage. Critical momentum has been robbed from individual campaigns on the ground, with many branches not even to get quorums for their meetings. The UPP is in actual fact more divided than ever before, with an increasing number of card carrying but non-participating members.
… and this is all thanks to Lame Lovell and his cowardly acceptance of Gisele Isaac’s vengeance culture. Well done Harold! You are well on your way to 9 seats and Prime Minister… NOT!
@Harold
Thought this was about the budget and throne speech. You are certainly griping a plenty about UPP. Are you a UPP supporter? I guess not.
Harold is reaping and will continue to reap what he sowed. LIES, deception, badmind, weakness, cowardice, dishonesty, LIES and more lies will unravel him. With each new lie he slips further down the abyss. That’s what happens when you try to MANIPULATE things and people. You always end up losing in the end. Look at you having the heart to go for your 8th whipping at the polls. Approaching age 70 with a track record of dismal failure and dishonesty. (Baldwin Spencer might be old, but at least he has a winning record; even tho he didn’t do shit for Grays Farm people).
The hag with lipstick seems to have a stronghold on you. Almost like a curse that you can’t break free from. Seems like she wear the pants and give you her pantyhose to put on. A thousand Frenchmen can’t all be lying. You just won’t listen to the right people and once again, nothing will improve. If you can’t run a party properly or account for Romantic Rhythms, how you expect to govern an entire country??
Did not expect anything better from the UPP. I believe the UPP wrote this before They even heard the THRONE SPEECH. UPP believe that They should just OPPOSE and OPPOSE. What the UPP think it does NOT matter because UPP would NOT win a seat next election. Cannot wait to hear the Opposition Party in Parliament discussing the BUDGET. I hope Harold and Gisel Isaac train Jamale better than last year.
@AUGUSTE
You are on point. It amazes me why the UPP believe that They cannot compliment the Government for something Good. The People of Antigua will never vote the UPP in Government AGAIN. UPP very DISHONEST.
Why the members of UPP do not get rid of HAROLD , GISEL and PRINGLE. I heard Pringle on Observer on Friday . This Guy is not learning . It is the worst I have ever heard Jamale Pringle.
TRUTH BE TOLD I would suggest that you see a doctor since you appear to have an uncontrollable yawning problem. Your TM (temporomandibular) joint must be malfunctioning. Perhaps you should see Dr. George Roberts the ENT specialist. The Throne Speech was a lot of words nicely stringed together. It was all fluff and hyperbole, in particular, when the Friars Hill and Airport Roads were described as being first world magnificence. Those roads are not 8 months old and they are disintegrating already. Perhaps you have never lived in Europe or North America to experience what real road magnificence looks like. I hope your yawning does not start again.
Agree with u the only thing is the party u support most likely won’t be the solution 😢
I have not heard from DUNCY HEAD Black Man for a while. I believe He is ashame of the UPP.
This duncy head is too busy counting his net worth.To be bothered with an empty “Throne Speech’.I do sit on my Throne every morning then I flushed the Throne Speech.
@ BLACK MAN
What net worth ? Hope you DO NOT count like your Leader Harold Lovell. Anyway nice to hear you.Happy New Year. Welcome back my Friend.
Happy New Year to you and your Family.
@CHARLES TABOR
I hope I shall live long enough to hear you COMPLIMENT HON.GASTON BROWNE and His Administration for doing such a FANTASTIC JOB. Tabor I believe you know better but you keep ENCOURAGING the UPP down the wrong path.
Tabor….. Did you hear Jamale Pringle on Observer Radio on Friday ? He was AWFUL.
SAM .H. please read my comment on the article with Dean Jonas and the establishment of a center for oceanography at the Five Islands Campus of the UWI. I pride myself as being very objective and give praises where praises are due.
Charles that one I must give it to you. I really thought someone else was posing as you. Keep it up. As I said you seem to have a personal hate for Gaston. One day you will confess and come clean what it really is about.
Charles, you starting to make sense. Happy New Year. Keep an open mind.
@ ME SAY
It is about the budget but Harold ME SAY and the Blue Koolaid Drinkers CRITICIZE everything. You cannot take PROGRESS.
I strongly suspect that this article, written apparently by the UPP and “we the people”, was written long BEFORE the Throne Speech was even made. The extremely shallow critique followed by a deafening silence by way of alternative solutions makes this revelation most evident, exposing the clumsy, naked, artless dodgers of the truth.
“Bankrupt of vision and ideas” is precisely why the people REJECTED the Leadership Matters & Delivering Hope bs from the sunshine government.
If you put a tie around a donkey it remains a donkey and will know the difference in grass that it is being fed. Expect nothing different from these bitter politicians of the UPP. They expected covid to be their catalyst to form them government. It will not happen. My people keep these people at bay. Their rationale to managing the economy during the pandemic era is not even textbook in its approach it is just pure ra**isness.
@ JUST SAYING
UPP is trying to use the COVID 19 PANDEMIC and NIGEL CHRISTIAN as Catalyst to propel Them to next election. The Citizens of Antigua / Barbuda alreay said that will never happen. UPP has nothing else to hold onto so Their are trying with the above mentioned. UPP fighting a losing battle.
Must be great to be the opposition: Recall a 2009 UPP manifesto which promised unemployment insurance, that after 5 years they never delivered, Yet hear them now in opposition advocating that the current government during the worst crisis since the great depression, now find resources to provide added social programs yet still continue to pay public servants on time. The latter of which also the UPP could not do
TENMAN at least you do not hear us denying that there is indeed a crisis engendered by the covid 19 virus as the ALP did in the 2009 world economic crisis which was the worst crisis the world had seen since the Great Depression of the 1930’s. Ask Gaston Browne and Max Hurst what they said about the 2009 crisis.
@ CHARLES TABOR
Tabor why don’t you stop chatting GARBAGE ????
@ THIS WORLD IS A MEESED UP PLACE.
UPP is NOT and would never be the solution. I listened to HON.GASTON BROWNE on Pointe FM yesterday and He said that UPP with KING LYAD LOVELL at the helm is good for the ABLP. Please members of DEFUNCT UPP keep Harold as your Leader . By doing so UPP chance if winning election in Antigua is ZERO.
You are so right, Mr. Prudhomme. Upp finish as long as Harry leads it. Have you noticed, Harry is aging out rapidly. It’s sad to see. Time for new leadership.
KING LYAD LOVELL. KING LYAD LOVELL. KING LYAD LOVELL WORST FINANCE and TOURISM Minister in the WORLD.
@Antiguanewsroom.com thank you very much for an uncensored platform to air divers views that are within your boundaries of being publishable. We tried with 911 during the hours of 11-2 but the budding politician has failed miserably already as he only reads pro UPP text. The voice of the people!!!! Next texter sorry next blogger to this website!
@SMOKE and MIRRORS
You said it PERFECTLY. D.GISELE ISAAC wear the PANTS and HAROLD LOVELL and I will add JAMALE PRINGLE wear the PANTIES and PANTY HOSE. How can Anyone vote for HAROLD LOVELL who cannot keep UPP together ? People are leaving UPP by LEAPS and BOUNDS. Also the UPP Candidates running for 2023 They are looking so TIRED and SICK .Especially CLEON ATHILL who does not speak well. She is the only Person I see protest in HIGH HEELS. CLEON ATHILL very POMPOUS Woman. We DO NOT want CLEON in St.Pauls. She would lose Her deposit for sure. UPP is in DISARRAY
With HAROLD LOVELL AT THE HELM, any organization is bound to FAIL! Richard Lewis please step up after the UPP loses the next election and Lovell (hopefully) calls it a day. Richard Lewis where are you?? The elitists in the UPP mad at you for marrying a “foreigner”
Never heard such nonsense in my life. They want to punish you for loving who you love. Richard Lewis where are you? You are the last glimmer of hope for the decaying UPP that is about to implode.
In as much as I agree with most of the Contributors to this topic I believe that UPP is not a good example of a POLITICAL PARTY. In my view the UPP is completely DESTROYED. I believe in having an Opposition Party but with HAROLD and GISEL at the helm UPP is doomed. They have DEMOLISHED the party. Now is the time Joanne Messiah of DNA should disclose Their Candidates for 2023 . DNA is poised for the OPPOSITION PARTY in 2023. UPP completely DEMOLISHED.
Whenever the UPP is having meetings with the Candidates running for election in 2023 , don’t the Candidates bring up the Leadeship of Harold Lovell ? Don’t They read the NEGATIVE comments against Harold in the Media ? If not , something is DRASTICALLY wrong with These Candidates. I can remember after the last election , Serpent interviewed D.Gisele and told Her that the UPP is doomed under the leadership of Harold. Now Serpent is now in the same soup. According to Wilmoth Daniel Serpent the most DISHONEST Person He has ever met. Serpent and Harold cut from the same cloth.TWO AWFUL PERSONS.
@ CHARLES TABOR
TABOR…Why you keep defending the UPP in Their NONSENSE ? No GLOBAL ECONOMIC CRISIS is as damning as this PANDEMIC.Tabor please stop your IGNORANCE. You are losing respect amongst the CITIZENS of ANTIGUA / BARBUDA. Tabor ..STOP IT.
Mr. Mondu you are completely missing the point. I am not saying that the world economic crisis in 2009 was worst than the present covid 19 pandemic. The latter even to a child in primary school is worse. The very simple point that I was making is that Gaston Browne and the ALP in opposition said that there was no world economic crisis in 2009. I hope it is now pellucidly clear to you as Sir Lester would say.
Tabor please produce your evidence where Gaston said that there was no World Economic Crisis in 2009.
Cut and paste the article here or any news item where he said such a thing. Cause what I remember he saying is that other countries in the region went through the same crisis and came out much better and it didn’t lasted for years. Antigua had negative growth for I believe four consequetive years. And only when the ABLP Gaston lead administration took over they grew the economy year after year with an average of 5%. And Even ECLAC pronounced us the fasted growing economy in the region.
FROM THE SIDELINE Tenman is good with clippings from articles so maybe he can assist with this. However, if you cannot recall that the mantra of the ALP in opposition was that there was no world economic crisis in 2009, then you have not been following the politics of Antigua and Barbuda as you try to make us believe. The first time that Gaston Browne admitted there was a world economic crisis in 2009 was in his first address to the UN General Assembly. He never said it at home but he did at the UN. Can you imagine how dumb and ridiculous he would appear if he said there was no crisis in his address to the UN. FROM THE SIDELINE I will leave you to do your own research on this issue and then you can get back to me. You guys are absolutely amazing with your alternative facts and revisionist history.
So you make statements saying that Gaston says this and that but you offer no proof, and now you want to lay the burden of proof on me. Wht kind of lawyer are you. I can categorically deny that what you say is true.
Tenman always back up and support his statements. He just doesn’t pull them out the air like you guys. Or do you expect Gaston to personally come and refute your statements?
@ CHARLES TABOR
Tabor why don’t you stop chatting GARBAGE ????
Sidelines:Did Gaston Browne say;Someone forged his signature for personal gains at Customs.What proof do I need.When as a matter of fact I heard him say so. $3 million dollars garne a some bady yard.
Nothing new and this isn’t news.
Comments are closed.