Henderson Bovell
Henderson Bovell

First there was the lost of consumer and investor confidence, then a capital flight from Barbados and now a brain-drain has been triggered. There was also a time when all of the young men and women were taken from Africa and only the old (who could not re-produce) were left. Barbados is in serious trouble but the Government has not yet realise!

A country without its youth and or its best, fertile brains, is doomed. But, this is the society the DLP is building. Not long ago, (and as one of its trademark excuses) the DLP was telling this country that it cannot do anything to ease the pressure locally, until and unless President Obama in America, Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain and Prime Minister Steven Harper of Canada – get it right in their respected country.

Well, two days ago, Canadians came with job offers and within the first session, over 800 young Barbadians had responded directly. Obviously feeling irrelevant but wanting to claim credit for jobs being created “outside of Barbados” and on the strength of the same Canadian economy the DLP said it needed to be strong – in order for it to do similar things here – a shamed Labour Minister comes out of hiding but only to  beg potential employers to come through the DLP, with vacancies, first. She and this-failed-DLP-Government, which plans to send-home a secret number of thousands – still do not get it! Barbadians no longer see this-failed-DLP-Government as being relevant to their needs.

One of the major expenditure items for any Government of Barbados, going forwards – will be: “Retiring Benefits” or “Pensions.” A few years ago when the BLP was in office – the issue of ‘population aging’ was being discussed in a serious way.  The concern then was that there would be fewer people of working age to provide pensions for a rapidly growing, retired and retiring population. The DLP alleges that it is building some society but issues like ‘population aging’ are not on its agenda or at the top of its, “to-do-list:” sending home people, causing an increase in the cost of living, the rate of poverty and unemployment and creating human suffering – is!

The DLP has practically gone into hiding! There was a time when you could not keep DLP Ministers off CBC- TV! Some nights, all 18 members of its large; unproductive Cabinet were in the news, touring buildings or doing some frivolous thing. Imagine! The DLP passed Constituency Council legislation, which commits DLP Parliamentarians, legally – to report to their constituents but they even now break the law in their desperation to avoid any and all contact with the very people they should be representing and reporting to by law – but are causing to suffer and feel that they (DLP Parliamentarians) now need police and other protection, from.

What vulgar crap that the Opposition is not putting forward anything or ideas on the table? What can the Opposition do to cause investors and consumers to have or restore confidence in this failed-DLP-Government? This is pure distraction, intended  to downplay the fact that this fiscal crisis is purely of the DLP’s making – caused by it “Fatted Calf Doctrine” and the same political entitlement spending, which the Opposition warned against?

In desperation, because it has been caught holding the smoking gun, the DLP is in panic mode and wants to implicate the BLP even more so than fixing the mess it has created – hence it still proceeding with its political entitlement programme, while asking the country to make more sacrifice – than will not fix the current problem. “Sleepy,” how can anybody blame the BLP when it is the dems who lied; deceived and betrayed the country?

The DLP has now abandoned the people and has figuratively and literally – left them in the dark, as regards a number of things, including: the Rihanna Deal; the Sandals Deal, the true state of the economy; how many people it bloated the Public Service with since January 15th 2008;  and what is the real position with the IMF!

Fortunately for Barbados and Barbadians, Mia Mottley and “Team BLP” are the ones holding the people’s hand in the darkness! Mia Mottley has been shining the light and is the beacon of hope and as any patriotic-guardian would – she  is the one handing drowning Barbadians life-jackets, while – with sleeves rolled-up – is trying to steady the sinking Barbados, to safe harbour, despite strong and loud objection from armchair critics and others.

This is bizarre, especially since it is already known that the DLP has long abandoned ship, leaving it rudderless, with terrified Barbadians on-board! You know the crisis is serious when (with trade unions and the Church on its side) the Government tells the country that the Cabinet is discussing a list of names of people to be sent home (not the entire Cabinet resigning) but with the plan being that no two people from any one house will be placed on the bread-line.

Sounds like and an excuse to do mischief. So the Government has now also become intrusive and will sit in an air-conditioned room, over “luxury food and “drink” and determine who is NOT worthy for a serving of the fatted calf.  In the mean time, everybody working in the Public Service must keep their head down and keep their mouth shut. Such fear now grips this country but neither the Church nor trade unions are bothered.

Barbados needs a new politics and a fresh start! It has to be re-imagined! We need to build a much stronger and better society and economy. Mia Mottley is therefore the right Captain at the right time. She has remained with the people and has introduced progressive  initiatives such as: Live and Direct Community Meetings; Rubbing Shoulders and the current Peoples’ Assembly, while even encouraging those who have – to adopt or partner with a family and help them survive this period.

Mia Mottley is on the right track and hers is the correct and mature approach to governance. She is on the job, focused and busy attending to the peoples’ business! The first order of business is to re-imagine Barbados. I think she did that beautifully in her address to the Barbados Chamber of Industry and Commerce on September 29th 2010.  Barbados has now to be rescued. If it is not – there will be nothing for anybody to lead in a year’s time!  Barbados then has to be re-cast. We needs to build a better Barbados. Let us create history! There is work to be done — let us get busy, each person according to his ability.

This country, the CSME and the regions needs a new historic beginning that will immediately capture the attention of the world. Mia Mottley has already unveiled a blue-print for a new politics in Barbados. Given the perilous state of the country and the lack of confidence in the present Barbados-government – Mia Mottley could be the “change” Barbados and the region needs.

103 responses to “DLP: No Longer Relevant to Barbados”


  1. Bushie mouth smell sweet enuff…. 🙂
    …um is the lotta bush tea like Wuh Sir Viv used to drink… Ha Ha

    Bushie was JUST ASKING if you is woman enuff to admit yuh was WRONG den and probably WRONG again… LOL

  2. henderson bovell Avatar
    henderson bovell

    The DLP: Power Without a Plan, A Lost Leader and a Dangerous Public Nuisance

    Even before the Leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition made the patriotic call for the establishment of an “Eminent Persons Committee” to chart a progressive path forward for Barbados [a call that has since received support from like-minded Eminent Barbadians – some of whom are highly respected within the halls of the United Nations] Finance Minister Sinkler had essentially indicated in his August 2013 Budget – that investors and persons with serious money to “LOSE” – have lost confidence in this failed-DLP-Government: diplomatic speak for ‘a crisis of confidence’ and there being a capital-flight from the country.

    In fact, foreign and other investors had no confidence in the DLP before the February General Elections and once the result was known, they immediately decided that they have had enough and are no longer prepared to wait-around or play russian-roulette.

    Then a rumour surfaced that a Foreign Currency Account, which had $1.7 billion, mysteriously diminished to a mere $300 million. That was the status then! All that time, despite downgrades; serious concern that the Government is printing money; enterprises and sectors failing; the debt and deficit spiraling out-of-control; and the lack of consumer and investor confidence having reached alarming proportions – the DLP was going along, as if it could still be business as usual.

    With it being clear that the DLP has no plan and no ideas how to end this crisis and put the country on the “pathway to progress” it promised – a patriotic Mia Mottley, who has a vision for Barbados – advance a laudable and progressive plan (consistent with the quality outlined on September 29th 2010 during her address to the BCCI) – which would give Barbados a chance to regain the hope and confidence that the DLP has squandered.

    You begin to understand the extent of this crisis, when the DLP goes from accusing Trinidadians of being allowed to “buy-up” Barbados, and telling the region: ‘ever so welcome wait for a call’ – to a DLP Cabinet Minister actually going there “cap-in-hand” to literally beg Trinidadian businessmen to ‘please’ have confidence in the DLP and invest here, despite there being a Barbados Ambassador to Caricom.

    Investors and serious people had no confidence in the DLP before the February 2013 General Election and they do not have any now, except were they to see an opportunity for a bargain-buy at a fire-side-sale! In the absence of fresh general election, an Eminent Person’s Group is the last brilliant idea for a restoration of investor but consumer confidence and yet another squandered chance for Barbados to collectively change course; preserve its sovereignty; avoid external dictates and occupation, as well as avoid becoming a failed society.

    To Barbados’ disbelief, the Prime Minister has now said “no” to the progressive and patriotic idea for the establishment of an Eminent Person Committee, suggesting instead, that his Cabinet (the very people who manufactured this crisis, unknown to themselves and are best known for confusion and contraction themselves on the very policy they conceptualised) are all eminent person, because they are duly elected.

    This show the extent to which the DLP are prepared to go to defend their “fatted calf doctrine” even in the face of severe human suffering. If the Prime Minister has a better plan; a credible alternative or even serious ideas, which he and his Cabinet have so far kept secret from Barbadians and the IMF, as regards – how they intend to get the country out of this perilous fiscal crisis his failed-DLP-Government has manufactured and if they suddenly have ideas to ease the human suffering the DLP is causing, now would be a good time to tell the country. But they also had budgets, a Medium Term Fiscal Strategy a revised one and other policies – none of which have worked. That explains the lack of confidence in them and “perhaps” also – the justified call for an ’eminent persons committee.’

    But, having spoken on the issue, the entire world (including potential investors) now have confirmation that the next year (or how ever long this country sits on its hands and allows them DLP to waste more time) will be “more of the same, but much worse, since things are deteriorating by the minute. Democracy is a very dangerous thing! It is the only excuse the DLP now has to continue ‘wasting time’ and ‘loitering,’ thereby preventing fresh elections or alternatively – an Eminent Person’s Group, which could put an end to this DLP madness.

    But it would have to be the ultimate in political stupidity that this oppressive DLP would say “NO” to an eminent persons committee but could have the nerve to compel the country to make even more sacrifices, as punishment for its flawed policies; poor judgment; bad decisions and arrogance. The fact that the crisis it has manufactured – is times more harmful to Barbados than the two global financial crisis, combined – does not bother the DLP. This failed -DLP-Government is simply not willing to entertain any discussion or threat to its free bus rides, summer camps, constituency councils, political football or blaoting of the public service.

    But saying “no” to an Eminent Person’s Committee, despite not having any credible plan or alternative and having promised social care – is further proof that this-failed-DLP-Government is not interested in the welfare of the people and has declared war on Barbados and Barbadians.

    The DLP is no more than a duly elected Government, which has lost its way. Is has no plan and that makes it a weak and very dangerous ‘lost leader’ and a “public nuisance.”


  3. Henderson Bovell have you returned the money you stole from the BLP ?

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