Of Gutters and Gangsters, The Rapid Fall of Tommy Descartes: The Foreman

Saint Lucia: Local political commentator The Foreman has issued an eye opening assessment of United Workers Party candidate Tommy Descartes. He argued that the young politician’s rapid fall from promise to controversy has become “a cautionary tale” within Saint Lucian politics.

According to The Foreman, Descartes entered the political arena with the makings of a rising star as he was an academically grounded young man from Ciceron who was very active in community circles and packaged as part of the UWP’s ‘new generation’ of candidates. However, he argues, the promise was short lived.

In his commentary, The Foreman recalls Descartes’ early campaign moments which included a widely circulated video showing him standing in a gutter in Faux-à-Chaux and he describes as “a literal interpretation of gutter politics.” He further criticises Descartes’ appearance in Bananes Bay where he allegedly encouraged residents to resist eviction orders connected to the GPH development project.

The critique intensifies with The Foreman’s reference to Descartes’ now-notorious remark that “Gangster is Yellow.” He characterises the statement as a misguided attempt to appeal to young men in the community and suggested that it alienated more voters than it persuaded. The local further drew a parallel to comments which were made by senior UWP figures about gangs and described the move as “a masterclass in alienation.”

The Foreman also argues that Descartes’ campaign rhetoric increasingly mirrored the negativity of senior party members which ultimately widened the gap between him and the incumbent Dr Ernest Hilaire who went on to defeat him by a margin larger than that of the UWP’s 2021 candidate.

The commentary further references election day allegations and claimed that Descartes was taken to a police station after reports surfaced of voter payments being made in his presence. Descartes has denied being arrested and insisted that he was only “detained for counting purposes.” No charges have been filed as of now, added The Foreman.

According to him, these events collectively contributed to what he calls the candidate’s “rapid political decline.” He further argued that Descartes’ campaign “sprinted toward oblivion from gutters to gangsters to police stations.”

He concludes his commentary with a pointed question: whether Descartes’ downfall was driven by ambition, naivety, or simply poor guidance.