Today (July 26, 2025) the Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP) celebrates four years since its 2021 General Elections victory that saw Party Leader and Castries-East MP Philip J. Pierre lead its return to office with a stunning 13-4 win that quickly metamorphosed into a 15-2 parliamentary majority. As Political Leader and Prime Minister, Pierre has earned deserving commendations for his performance as leader of Party and State. He has singularly revived the party’s national popularity and greatly restored respect, while regaining support across the political divide – at home and abroad. The mixed administration he leads has consistently delivered basic needs and provided increased opportunities, created more jobs and propelled a vibrant Youth Economy, while lessening national debts, increasing capital investments and revenue collection –and posting successive annual economic growth rates. Gubernatorial emphasis has been on caring for the needy, helping the helpless, ensuring equal access to government benefits by all, settling outstanding labour disputes (including with the Police association) and annually announcing wage increases for different government employees, while increasing and expanding pensioners’ benefits. This administration has spent by-far the most to provide material resources to enhance the never-ending fight against crime — from higher recruitment and training levels to many-more vehicles, a mobile police station, more and better weapons, more marine units, more ATVs, and motorcycles. This administration has also introduced drones and IT equipment for better monitoring and surveillance, including body-cams and bulletproof vests for national and city police. But none would have been without the Prime Minister’s leadership vision and his party’s long historical association fighting for and delivering the best of all for all Saint Lucians. The SLP fought for ordinary Saint Lucians to get the right to vote — and without conditionally owning property (land and house). Under the leadership of George F.L. Charles, the party won the first four legislative elections (1951, 1954, 1957 and 1961) – until the island’s Mother of All Parties suffered her first great betrayal by a few prodigal and adopted sons in 1964. Through a post-election marriage of political convenience, the class forces opposed to George Charles’ leadership of the SLP came together and devised a plan to prevent the winning party from taking office. The National Labour Movement (NLM) and the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) formed the United Workers Party (UWP), an alliance led by John G.M. Compton, which manufactured a post-election ‘majority’ with the addition of two ‘Independent Labour’ seats. The SLP had won the most seats after the first count in the 1964 elections, but the political manoeuvring by the emerging middle-class lawyers and doctors who’d abandoned the SLP changed the results delivered by voters and deprived the winning party the right to govern. The party returned to office 15 years (three terms) later in 1979, with a soothing 12-5 majority that quickly evaporated in a power struggle that exploded into the 1982 General Elections. After another 15 years in opposition (1982 to 1997, the SLP returned triumphantly with the record-breaking 16-1 majority that kept it in office for two terms, until 2006 – only to return in 2011, lose again in 2016 and win again in 2021. It its first four years, this administration has delivered more election campaign promises in parliament than any and Pierre’s leadership has restored dignity to governance after inheriting a strained economy and a skyrocketing national debt. As Finance Minister, he’s demonstrated a capacity to source needed funds whenever needed for emergencies, or for projects directly improving people’s living conditions, including urgent repairs to coastal villages affected by recent hurricanes, million-dollar investments in development of bananas and plantains, providing insurance for banana farmers and supporting women farmers. This administration has also legislated new ‘liveable’ minimum wage rates and found the resources to complete major unfinished infrastructural projects like the St. Jude Hospital and the Hewanorra International Airport (HIA) and resumption towards completion of sea ports and highways expansion. Regionally and internationally, Prime Minister Pierre has also restored Saint Lucia’s image as a dependable partner, serving as Chairman of the OECS and as CARICOM’s lead prime minister for Climate Change and Environmental matters. Pierre is also keeping the island on track in CARICOM’s quest for reconnection with its African roots through political dialogue and economic engagement, including ties with the Afrexim Development Bank. Prime Minister Pierre’s first international engagement was the inaugural CARICOM-African Union (AU) Summit in September 2021 — and four years later he’s preparing to attend the second in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on September 7. With Emancipation Day 2025 approaching, the government is preparing to launch its fourth Emancipation Month, following this year’s series of annual observances of Saint Lucia’s Independence, Jazz and Arts Festival, May Day, Calypso and Carnival seasons, in what’s truly become The Eastern Caribbean’s Entertainment Capital. Interestingly, all local political parties and independent candidates since 1950 had their navel strings attached to the SLP – UWP, Progressive Labour Party (PLP), National Alliance, National Democratic Movement (NDM), Lucian People’s Movement (LPM), Lucian Greens, Saint Lucia Green Party, People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Saint Lucia Freedom Party and ‘Sou Tout Apwe Fet Fini’ (STAFF Party). If independent or non-aligned voters were generally left to decide who they’ll elect without being canvassed, it would be natural to expect the SLP would possibly also win the two missing seats. But even here, as Prime Minister Pierre is very-much aware, no election is won until the last vote is counted. He holds the bell to be rung at a time of his choice, for an election his team will enter with all expectations of victory, but not giving any indication of when — except his solemn promise that the next General Elections will not be constitutionally overdue. This means the Prime Minister and the SLP have between the next 15 months and 21 days to keep the visibly desperate opposition limbo-dancing on a tightrope with a short pole, above its own broken bottles.