A Legacy of Failure: PLP’s Hypocrisy Over BHS Construction Is an Insult to the Nation

The People’s Labour Party (PLP), led by former Prime Minister Dr. Timothy Harris, has reached new heights of hypocrisy. In a recent ChatGPT-generated article published by Times Caribbean, his operatives shamelessly condemned the long-overdue construction of the new Basseterre High School (BHS), the commencement of which was announced last week by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Dr. Geoffrey Hanley — a project they had seven years to initiate but failed to deliver.

Their attack, cloaked in faux concern over transparency and accountability, is not only disingenuous but deeply insulting to the people of St. Kitts and Nevis — especially the hundreds of students, teachers, and families who have endured more than a decade of disruption and delay.

A Trail of Empty Promises and Squandered Millions

Let us not forget the facts. Under Dr. Harris’ watch, more than EC $21 million was flushed into a black hole of consultations, vague reports, and phantom planning — all while not a single brick was laid. Over half a million dollars per month was paid to one consultancy firm alone, with no physical progress to show. Not one contractor hired. Not one classroom built. Not even a demolition crew dispatched to clear the old site.

This was not a failure of resources — it was a failure of will, leadership, and basic governance. Like the fairytale emperor with no clothes, the Harris administration produced nothing of substance, yet tried to convince the nation that progress was being made. Instead of a school, they offered illusions — an invisible monument to their incompetence fabricated with indecision, waste, and political deception.

PLP Now Asking Questions They Never Answered

Now, with the Drew administration boldly advancing the long-delayed construction, PLP operatives dare to ask: Who is building the school? What’s the cost? Where is the money coming from?

These are questions they never asked or cared to answer during their term. When EC $21 million vanished into reports and rhetoric, where was their concern for transparency? Where was their outrage when the school became a political football — and hundreds of students were left in limbo, learning in makeshift conditions?

The public isn’t fooled. This isn’t about accountability. It’s about political envy and desperation from a rejected party that failed to act when it mattered most.

A Vision Finally Taking Shape

In contrast, the new BHS project under Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Dr. Geoffrey Hanley is not only underway, but grounded in a clear and forward-thinking vision:

• 32 modern classrooms tailored for digital-age learning.
• Science and arts facilities, including multiple labs and music rooms.
• A 1,200-seat auditorium and international-grade sports amenities.
• Lecture halls, technical training spaces, and disability-accessible infrastructure.
• Integration of renewable energy systems, aligned with the government’s Sustainable Island State agenda.

Moreover, Dr. Hanley has emphasised local empowerment, ensuring that small contractors, architects, and tradespeople across the Federation are directly benefiting from the project’s execution.

“What is heart-warming for me is the many small contractors that are onsite… everyone getting an opportunity to get a piece of the pie,” Dr. Hanley noted.

This is not poetic grandstanding. It’s a practical, inclusive model of development that creates jobs, restores confidence in governance, and places education exactly where it belongs — at the core of national progress.

Harris’ Legacy: Neglect. Drew’s Legacy: Action.

The real scandal here isn’t that Dr. Hanley didn’t itemise every contract in his announcement. The scandal is that Dr. Harris’ government spent tens of millions of tax payer dollars and produced nothing but delays and disillusionment.

Now, with construction finally underway, PLP’s attempt to sabotage public trust through misleading editorials is both cowardly and offensive. They’re not seeking facts. They’re seeking to derail progress — the very progress they denied to a generation of students.

Let’s be clear: The Drew administration inherited a mess, and in less than three years, has taken decisive action where the PLP dithered. That is the true measure of leadership.

The people of St. Kitts and Nevis deserve more than recycled outrage from a failed administration. They deserve world-class schools. They deserve responsible leadership. And above all, they deserve honesty.

Dr. Harris and his operatives would do well to reflect on their own record — a record littered with broken promises, political gamesmanship, and fiscal recklessness.

The new Basseterre High School is not just a construction project. It is a symbol of renewal — a statement that the future is no longer being held hostage by the past.

The time for stalling is over. The time for building is now. Let those who failed step aside, and let those who act lead the way forward.