Horne: Change kinder, gentler approach

Former New Democratic Party (NDP) representative John Horne has called on newly re-elected President of the political party, Arnhim Eustace, to change his “kinder and gentler” approach when dealing with Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves.

Horne who was one of three guest speakers at the NDP convention on Sunday, December 10 at the Kingstown headquarters said that he passionately shared and had the same deep understanding of a kinder gentler society which would make SVG the envy of the Caribbean and beyond.{{more}}

He however noted that too many Vincentians were being marginalised by the Unity Labour Party (ULP).

“There can be no kinder and gentler society while our people are being maligned, cursed, victimized, disrespected, buffeted, embarrassed, threatened and frustrated into submission. There will be no turning of the other cheek. We must stand up and reject this debasement of our nation and vilification of its people.

“In short the Prime Minister and his government must be made to respect the people. It is obvious that the kinder gentler tactic and strategy will not work with the arrogance that comes from the other side. So every means within the law must be used in defense of the rights and freedoms enshrined in the constitution.”

Horne assured the gathering that when the NDP re-assumes governance they would again be accustomed to the kinder gentler society where “love, the hearing of each others troubles, the strengthening of the week, impoverished, poor and dispossessed” would abound.

The former West Kingstown representative promised that there would be no narrowing of the gap between the “haves” and the “have nots” under the NDP and that every young person would get opportunities to excel in their chosen field of endeavor.

Horne pointed out that it was the NDP that took to parliament the Social and Redemption Charter to ensure peace and stability in the land unlike the ULP whom he said promised to “make the country ungovernable”.