The closed door National Party Council meeting lasted about 3 hours and coming out of it leader Tracy Panton says the agenda was about moving forward:

Tracy Panton, Leader of the Opposition
"But first and foremost is the need for the party to unite and move forward in our preparedness for the village councils coming up and also for the leadership convention that we will be having within 90 days to ensure that we solidify the leadership team."

But how about the other members of the team? We saw many party personalities walking out - many of them still carrying the wounds of recent electoral defeats.

Jules Vasquez
"Now you had to deal with a lotta people who were loyal to the former leader and who acted as candidates for the former leader. I saw a number of them here. How is that rapprochement going?"

Tracy Panton, Leader of the Opposition
"Da Tracy you know? Da Tracy! The loyalty has to be to the United Democratic Party. The loyalty has to be to the constituency. The loyalty has to be to the people of this country and the loyalty has to be in defending our democracy. We all agree on that."

But those well worn platitudes may not be enough to get everyone on the same page - the UDP needs urgently to project a credible image after a historically flak general election:

Jules Vasquez
"I saw of lot of political corpses walking out. You need electable people."

Tracy Panton, Leader of the Opposition
"Everything will happen in this party in due course. It will happen conscientiously. It will. Happen constitutionally. I can tell you already there are a number of new persons who are prepared to step up and support the party, to run for the party. But we're going to do things properly.And what we will not do is what Shyne Barrow did to this party. We are going to follow the constitution and we are going to take things in due course."

Jules Vasquez
"Now there's an old saying, if you want to get breakfast, you've got to break some eggs. Same way if you want to move forward, you know, a few people have to be let down and told to find another role. You are not, electable candidate. And the last election showed it."

Tracy Panton, Leader of the Opposition
"You know, Jules, where have you been for the last year and a half? I have shown over and over again that I have the ability, the fortitude to move this party forward. I have the ability and the fortitude to make difficult decisions for this party."

And indeed she will have to make many while moving above party infighting

Jules Vasquez
"How will you engage the PUP more effectively than your party has done in the past five years?"

Tracy Panton, Leader of the Opposition
"Just sit back and watch. We are going to do the work of the opposition, not only in the National Assembly."

"You you you you will be retired, Jules. You won't have to be the sole opposition in this country. There's certainly going to be a team that is ready to take on the issues, in the interests of the people and the country."

Jules Vasquez
"How will you find the financing and is the, are you as leader going to form a relationship with Michael Ashcroft as Shyne Barrow had?"

"I heard you had a meeting. I heard you had a meeting!"

Tracy Panton, Leader of the Opposition
"Why don't you ask him what his intentions are? Listen to me. There are many UDP supporters, stalwarts, people who have served this country and the party long and hard, who have committed to the work of rebuilding. And that comes with the resources that we need. And we will do it just the way every other party leader has done it. One step at a time, one day at a time, one hurdle at a time."

"We will rebuild the United Democratic Party and take note of it. Today is April April 5th, 2025. We will be the government in 2030."