Growing outrage as Laura Jn Pierre Slams Labour Party leadership
CASTRIES, St Lucia – June 2, 2025 – Laura Jn Pierre, the United Workers Party (UWP) candidate for Laborie, has launched a blistering attack on the Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP) government, accusing Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre’s administration of systematically dismantling the nation’s democratic values and betraying its people to serve foreign interests.
Speaking on the widely followed Newsspin program, Jn Pierre sharply criticized Deputy Prime Minister Ernest Hilaire and the SLP leadership for prioritizing foreign billionaires, political allies, and personal gain over the welfare of ordinary Saint Lucians.
“Timothy, it’s a shame a disgrace, even to hear Ernest Hilaire side with foreigners over his own people,” Jn Pierre charged. “I thought the only one they told us who cared more about foreigners than Lucians was Allen Chastanet. Wasn’t that the slogan? ‘Friends, Families, and Foreigners’? But now the veil has dropped.”
According to Jn Pierre, the Labour government’s actions have revealed a governing philosophy that systematically enriches friends and rewards political families while sacrificing the local population to foreign profiteers.
A Pattern of Targeting the Vulnerable
Jn Pierre outlined what she described as a steady erosion of rights for the most vulnerable, referencing a long line of groups who have been pushed aside under the current administration, from street vendors and hawkers to truckers and low-wage workers.
“First they came for the vendors along Jeremie Street… then they came for the coconut vendors… then the fish hawkers… then the vulnerable… and now there’s no one left to speak for me,” Jn Pierre warned.
She accused the government of displacing vendors to make way for beachfront developments benefiting foreign investors while cracking down on locals struggling to make a living.
Labour Disputes and Wage Cuts Spark Outrage
The UWP candidate also took aim at recent labour disputes in the tourism sector, where local workers reportedly saw their wages slashed despite delivering strong service for months. Jn Pierre condemned the lack of consultation, transparency, and justification behind these cuts.
“You negotiate a salary, perform your duties with pride and suddenly, you’re told your pay is being cut in half. No consultation. No justification. Nothing,” she said. “Whose hands were greased? What brand of liquor was used to lubricate this betrayal for Ernest Hilaire to be out there talking so much bétise?”
Foreign Interests Take Priority Over Local Needs
Jn Pierre painted a broader picture of a government deeply entangled with foreign interests, arguing that the SLP has become more responsive to outsiders with “deep pockets” than to the everyday Saint Lucian.
“The government chased vendors, but gave beachfronts to billionaires,” she said. “Power is lent, not owned. And every voice matters—not just the ones with foreign accents and deep pockets.”
She further accused the government of consistently blaming external factors like “imported inflation” for rising costs while refusing to take responsibility for the economic burden being placed on working-class Saint Lucians.
Democracy Under Siege
Jn Pierre emphasized that democracy must not be reduced to campaign rallies or partisan slogans but should instead be grounded in consultation, representation, accountability, and respect for the people.
“Democracy is not a slogan. It’s not a party color or a campaign jingle. It is a sacred contract between the people and those they elect to serve,” she declared.
A Rallying Call for Resistance
Closing her remarks, Jn Pierre urged Saint Lucians across all sectors of society to break their silence and demand accountability from the Labour government before it is too late.
“The time to speak is now. The time to act is now. The time to rise is now,” she stated. “Not for the vendors. Not for the truckers. Not for the workers. Not for the vulnerable. Not even for ourselves. Because silence is no longer an option.”
As Saint Lucia’s political climate continues to heat up, Jn Pierre’s powerful denunciation reflects a growing opposition narrative that paints the Labour Party’s rule as a dangerous deviation from democratic norms and a betrayal of the nation’s sovereignty.
Unitedpac St Lucia News will continue to monitor this escalating political debate.
