Former President of NDP Youths switches platforms
FORMER YOUNG DEMS president, Vakeesha John, has switched her allegiance and on Sunday night November 23, 2025, mounted the platform of the Unity Labour Party at the launch of their youth manifesto.
“During the last elections, my political persuasion was different…tonight, I’ll be breaking protocol because I broke ties with a political party that pledges emotionally, operates chaotically, and has no clear sound plan for SVG…of course I am talking about the NDP,” stated John in her address at the ULP rally held at the Richmond Hill Playing Field.
“You might ask yourself… why didn’t you just leave the NDP silently? Why don’t you leave the NDP silently, Vakeesha? No. I will answer this question because some ask this question genuinely,” but she said others do so in an attempt to shame her.
“…I’ll share with you two quotes that I live by. One is often attributed to John Maynard Keynes and I quote … ‘when the facts change I change my mind, what do you do?’ The second is one from George Orwell, and I quote…‘in a time of deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.’” John accused the NDP as being “filled with deceit”, and declared “I will not be quiet about that”.
She told the crowd of young people that the NDP “operates strictly on emotions and never with clear positions and substantial issues”, noting that they demonstrated double standards with respect to the Covid-19 vaccine.
She said NDP officials went on radio and other platforms urging people to take the Covid vaccine and referring to those who did not take it in derogatory terms. However, they changed that position in order to politically weaponise the issue, explaining that she and the party fell out over this issue as she had cautioned about their change of position.
“They watched me as a bony gyal and they became very disrespectful, wanting to threaten me because of my view. I joined the New Democratic Party asYoung Dems president, even though I did not share their view on the COVID mandate. That position on the mandate did not trump the issue, it was their reaction to my opposing view.”
John said despite differences in opinion on a number of issues, “you know who never disrespected me for my opposing views?…. the Comrade Ralph.”
She told the crowd that the NDP “plays on the river… on the bank, and hide and seek with policies. They say one thing today and one thing tomorrow, or whatever is convenient for political support.”
To illustrate her point, she noted that the NDP previously put forward a position on China, which was “unprompted”, but after reactions from different sectors of the Vincentian society, changed position.
“In this political cycle, the NDP has gone silent on the China-Taiwan issue. No amount of questioning gets the NDP to discuss what their current policies are. Students are asking about their scholarships with Taiwan, and the NDP is mute. Skilled workers are asking the NDP the future of skill programmes that are funded by Taiwan and the NDP is mute.”
She pointed out that the party has referred to the Citizenship by Investment programme on page 37 of its manifesto.
“It is the most generic plan you can find, and while they place it there, they never talk about it with people who want to discuss the ins and outs of the CBI programme. You cannot put forward a policy and back-back every time it is challenged…. “We have to call the NDP the back-back party… we can’t afford leadership that is one foot in and one foot out on all of their policies to rule our country. You dare not remind them of their pledge to the Southern Grenadines, because they will go mute, and their supporters will curse you.”
The former Young Dems president said there is “shaky leadership” in the NDP which has “promises with no clear plans”, as against decisive and consistent leadership under the ULP.
“Young people, when you are ridiculed for speaking about politics and when you are asked about payments, understand that you do not need to be paid. Let your principles pay you. Let your conscience speak for you. Our voices are powerful and must be heard, not shut down, not ridiculed, not mocked by a party. That was my reality in the NDP.”
John also urged young voters to take ownership of their future.
“You do not need to be afraid. Let the spirit embolden you. Most of all, you do not need to be paid to vote. Let your voice speak for you, for progress, for policy, for the Unity Labour Party.”
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