ST. JOHN’S, Antigua — At a joint Labour Day rally organized by the Antigua Trades and Labour Union (AT&LU) and the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party, Prime Minister Gaston Browne has pushed back against growing criticism of his habit of giving personal cash assistance to members of the public who approach him at public gatherings, framing the practice as a reflection of his personal commitment to supporting vulnerable citizens rather than any form of inappropriate political conduct.
Browne openly confirmed that when members of the public approach him after he leaves official event platforms to request small sums ranging from $100 to $200, he almost always complies with their requests. “When you see I leave the platform… and they say they want $100, $200… and I give them… I have an obligation to share,” the prime minister told attendees of the rally.
Rejecting any attempts to frame the gesture as inappropriate or politically motivated, Browne positioned the cash handouts as a natural expression of his care and connection to the people of Antigua and Barbuda. “I have an obligation to care… to love the people of this country,” he emphasized.
The prime minister explained that his willingness to give direct assistance stems from deep empathy for ordinary working people, rooted in his own working-class upbringing and that of many senior members of his administration. “We are product of you,” he said, stressing that he has never lost touch with the everyday struggles that many citizens face, and remains dedicated to delivering tangible, on-the-ground support to those in need.
Browne’s public defense of the practice comes as the practice has sparked ongoing political debate across the country, with some observers questioning whether direct cash handouts by a sitting prime minister at public events are appropriate for public office.
The remarks about cash assistance formed one part of Browne’s wider Labour Day policy address, in which he also laid out his administration’s upcoming plans to address worker wages, improve national working conditions, expand social support programs, and reaffirmed the government’s core priority of lifting living standards for working people and the country’s most vulnerable demographic groups.
Closing his remarks on the issue, Browne made clear that he has no intention of ending the practice, saying that providing direct help to citizens where he is able is simply part of his core responsibility as a national leader.