Carlos says he’ll ‘pull out’ Bramble’s nipple rings

MP for North Leeward, Tourism Minister Carlos James says that East Kingstown MP, opposition lawmaker Fitz Bramble disrespected him in his (James’) home town this week and if it happens again, he would pull out Bramble’s nipple piercings.

James made the comment during an apparent light-hearted exchange in Parliament today (Thursday) as lawmakers debated the ICC Cricket World Cup West Indies Bill.

In September 2022, Bramble apologised for using profanity in a video of him receiving a piercing to his chest, which he said had been done two years earlier.

However, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves has repeatedly used the incident to jab Bramble, referring occasionally to “nipple-piercing”.

On Tuesday, Bramble told a meeting of his New Democratic Party (NDP) in Troumaca, James’ home village, that he would spend time in North Leeward campaign against James when the next general elections are called.

“Watch me, when you see elections start, I am going to make sure that I come down and do whatever is possible, once God give me the health and the strength, and I coming down here, and I’m fighting. You know why? Because One Carlos is too outta place,” James said.

“One Carlos” refers to James’ margin of victory in the 2020 election, when he was declared the winner of the seat after a contentious recount.

“If you does hear this man in Parliament,” Bramble told the village meeting in Troumaca. “I am quite sure you could never be proud of a representative — his man comes into Parliament like … so aloof and above everybody else, because he does not understand what it means to represent the ordinary people of North Leeward. And that is why we will get him to hell out of dey next election. Outta here he goes,” Bramble said.

Meanwhile, speaking during the crosstalk while debating the ICC Cricket World Cup West Indies Bill, James told Bramble, “… the only person disrespect me is you this week.

“You went into a village meeting in my hometown, disrespect me,” James said and repeatedly told Bramble that there were 12 people at the meeting.

“And let me tell you something, you didn’t do a good job disrespecting me eh else they wouldna allow you to leave. But you had 12 people at the meeting. Just remember that,” the North Leeward MP said and laughed.

He continued:

“I doh even know if you could call it a meeting. Doh come back to North Leeward and try to disrespect me. I’ll pull out them ring dey out your nipples. You!”

Bramble says ULP had neglected North Leeward

In his speech on Tuesday, Bramble said that the ruling Unity Labour Party (ULP) has neglected North Leeward although the constituency “holds the distinction of being one of the few, if not the only constituency in this country, where the four pillars of our economy can be pursued”.

He said the constituency has tremendous scope for tourism, agriculture, the blue/marine economy and the new economy.

“… the New Democratic Party is preparing itself; we are preparing ourselves to take this country out of the economic malaise, out of the economic hardship in which we currently find ourselves.”

Bramble said that never in the history of St. Vincent and the Grenadines were so many people living in poverty than now.

“Never before in the history of this country have we had so many people, particularly our young people being unemployed. Never before in the history of this country have we had so many young people, in particular, being victims of violent crime.”

He said that SVG ranks in the top five in the world for murder rate per 100,000, noting that there were 55 homicides in the country last year.

“I am saying all of this to tell you that our present government and your present representative, the Honourable Carlos James, I like to call him One Carlos … continues to fail the constituency of North Leeward.”

He said he would be interested to hear of “anything substantive” that had been done for the people of North Leeward by the ULP administration since 2020.

“Come on people, we gotta wake up. You gotta wake up and understand that you and only you can determine your destiny, not One Carlos. Not the ULP.”

Bramble said a friend who is an explorer told him that people would be amazed at the number of waterfalls and hot springs in North Leeward.

“In 2020, the New Democratic Party campaigned and made a commitment that had we formed government, we would have energised the economy of this constituency by building a cruise ship berth so we can attract tourism and earn valuable tourism dollars in this constituency.”

He said North Leeward has all the tourism ingredients, including black sand beaches and calm waters.

“There is not a single hotel in North Leeward,” he said, noting that the government was building a hotel in East St. George.

“So wah happen to North Leeward? And you have a natural tourism product that you don’t need to exert a lot of energy to market.”

Bramble said the NDP will make sure that constituents benefit from the possibilities which exist in tourism in North Leeward.

North Leeward well suited to agriculture

He said that he was told that Rose Hall produces some of the best carrots in the country.

“And that is only one example, that is only one produce,” he said, noting the richness of the soil.

“You know what Ralph Gonsalves and his government did to the farmers down here? They displaced the farmers of North Leeward for a  St. Lucian company name Rayneau, posing as a business that is going to produce, aggregate and operate a stone quarry.

“Up to now, not one single stone has been quarried or mined in North Leeward,” he said of the operation at Richmond. 

“And what did they do? They turn along and the same very farmlands that they took from the farmers, Rayneau now using the farmlands to grow stuff. Whappen to Vincentians?” Bramble said.

He noted people’s rights to support the party of their choice.

“But Vincentians and residents of North Leeward, you must be able to understand and appreciate the value of your life.

“And right now, the Unity Labour Party and Carlos James, they do not place a very high premium on your life,” he said, adding that this was shown less than six months after James was elected.

When La Soufriere erupted in April 2021, resulting in thousands of people, including from North Leeward being evacuated, James appeared in a video saying that people will have to take a COVID-19 vaccine to access government-run emergency shelters.

“And these people have the gall to come here and still ask you to support them. Come on! Come on Troumaca,” he said.

He said the infrastructure in North Leeward is poor.

“Nothing is down here; everything going up north, up windward,” he said, mentioning the national stadium and the diagnostic centre.

“Don’t get me wrong. I am not saying that the people of the windward side don’t deserve it. But whappen to alyo? Whappen to North Leeward people? Dem nah deserve nothing too?”