When Solutions Barbados was formed on 1 July 2015, we promised the press that they will never hear “no comment” from us. We have now been asked to comment on the Sandy Lane Charitable Trust donation.

Solutions Barbados is grateful to the Sandy Lane Charitable Trust, and all philanthropy groups, for their generosity to the people of Barbados. Philanthropic groups should never be criticized for helping Barbadians. However, they may be advised on how to attract less criticism on future donations.

Our two established political parties have successfully divided Barbados politically. At the start of each new administration, it is common for the losing party to complain bitterly, that their supporters have been sent home (to poverty), and replaced by the winner’s supporters.

The division is sustained by political operatives, who actively try to harm the financial condition of their perceived political opponents. Since they cannot harm a person’s character or competence, they normally target their personal and professional reputations, to harm their earning potential.

After fifty years of dividing us, the divisions are now too deep. It is simply too much at this time, to ask known DLP supporters, to desperately go cap in hand to BLP political constituency offices, to beg for assistance, and vice versa. Further, they risk being both rejected and ridiculed, for purely political reasons.

These offices are managed by extreme political party supporters, with the singular aim of helping their party win the next general election. Publicly humbling political opponents before their neighbours in this manner, can emotionally break them. They may choose going hungry as an easier option – which defeats the purpose of the donation.

If future donors insist that political constituency offices must be used to disburse their donations, then they should consider dividing the donation equally between the two established parties.

For clarity, Solutions Barbados plans to abolish the public funding of political constituency offices, because they will be unnecessary. The public should be able to efficiently access well-managed (to ISO 9001) public services, by simply contacting Government departments.

Politicians should not help their supporters avoid the gross inefficiencies, that the rest of us are forced to endure. This corrupting discrimination compromises the integrity of the service, and further delays those already waiting in-line.

Grenville Phillips II is a Chartered Structural Engineer and President of Solutions Barbados. He can be reached at NextParty246@gmail.com