People want change more than the Opposition – Dr. Friday

LEADER of the New Democratic Party (NDP) Dr. Godwin Friday, said people are saying that it is the opposition politicians who are calling for political change, but it is the people who want change even more than the politicians.

Speaking on Hot 97.1 FM on Monday, November 3, 2025 Dr. Friday said that St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) has reached a point, “where people are saying, ‘guys, you know, you’ve been there for so long, you haven’t delivered for us, we want change’,…but they want to turn around and blame the politicians, when, in fact, it’s the people who are saying, we want the change”.

He said the NDP is giving people “a better option than the present government” and the people will make a decision come November 27, 2025- election day.

Dr. Friday said if the NDP forms government the party has a plan that they will begin to implement immediately since their major concern is the economy.

“…the economy of the country has essentially ground to a halt…you look in the agricultural sector, the farmers, basically, they don’t know where to go. That’s the thing, you know, there’s no certainty as to what to do, what to grow, who is going to help if things don’t turn out the way that they do.”

Dr. Friday said the ULP administration has failed on the economy and as a result, the economy has ground to a halt.

“…the fisheries sector and so on- every year they’re talking about their $5 million to lend to fisherfolk and so forth…you’re going to ask people, you know, if they ever took access at the advantage of this $5 million and you can’t find anybody who benefited from it,” he told his hosts, adding that the ULP administration has failed to deliver on their promises.

“People want to be able to take you at your word. And you know, when I say that, I mean it because I am not in this because it puts another badge on my shoulder or some sort of accolade.

“I feel that what little talents I have, and God has blessed me, I want to use them in service of my people, and that is what motivates me,” Dr. Friday added. On Monday, November 10, 2025 the long-standing representative for the Northern Grenadines handed in his nomination papers as he goes through the process of seeking another term, but this time as the head of a victorious party.

Dr. Friday said he has no regrets regarding the time he has spent in opposition.

“It’s not a sacrifice for me. It’s an obligation…,” he noted, while adding that sitting down in meetings though tedious is necessary, but what matters most is going out and meeting people, seeing how they live, talking to them and connecting.

“And when I do that, I find that people…they welcome it, because what they want to see is somebody who say, ‘boy, you know, he understands. He knows what I’m going through’,” Dr. Friday pointed out.

He said that some politicians go into the communities and say ‘here’s a $200 now’, and that might help with the electricity bill today, but what about the bill next month.

“How you’re going to pay that? What I do when I walk around, I listen to people,” Dr. Friday said, while noting that his party prioritizes education and healthcare and even in opposition, they have helped people with health and education emergencies.

The NDP leader also was critical about the crime situation in the country, saying it is at crisis level and Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves has failed to acknowledge that.