Ralph Gonsalves to attend Philip J. Pierre's swearing-in ceremony

St Vincent and the Grenadines: The former Prime Minister and leader of the United Labour Party (ULP), Dr Ralph Gonsalves said that he will be attending the swearing-in ceremony of the second time elected Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, Philip J. Pierre. It will be held on Friday, December 5 in Castries, Saint Lucia. Dr Gonsalves also said that he will be attending the ceremony to show his respect and support for PM Pierre and the Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP).

In a social media post, Dr Gonsalves congratulated PM Pierre and the SLP for their success. He wrote, “This morning, I spoke with my brother and comrade, Hon. Philip J. Pierre. Congratulations on this fantastic victory to the SLP and people of St Lucia!” He further said that he received an invite from Saint Lucia’s Prime Minister to attend the ceremony which he happily accepted.

This exchange between the two delegates shows the strong bilateral ties between the two labour parties in the Caribbean. Dr Gonsalves' Facebook post also read, “Labour stays together.”

This visit is a key moment for the opposition leader of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, who is also facing a major political shift in his own countries, after he was defeated during the 2025 general elections on November 29. The ULP only secured one Parliament seat during the elections, which put an end to the party’s 25 year rule.

On the other hand, SLP won the elections for the second consecutive time, by securing fourteen (14) out of seventeen (17) Parliament seats, defeating the United Workers party (UWP), which only secured one seat in Micoud South, Saint Lucia.

The decision to attend the swearing-in ceremony shows the dedication of Dr Gonsalves and ULP to the regional Labour movement and his support for Pierre and the Saint Lucia Labour Party.