With talk of a general election in the air, The Jamaica Observer’s Western Bureau will help you get to know the candidates in this end of the island.

Check this column every Saturday for information about those who are seeking your vote.

Who are the candidates and why should you vote for them?

This week, meet the Jamaica Labour Party’s candidate for Eastern Hanover, Barrington Gray.

Name: Barrington Gray

Date of birth: August 11, 1950

Constituency: Eastern Hanover

Background: Barrington Gray was born at Hopewell in the parish of Hanover. He attended the Bethel Basic School, the Montego Bay Secondary School, and then went on to the College of Arts Science and Technology, (CAST) where he received a BSc in building construction.

After graduation, he worked as an assistant engineer at Marley Plant and later moved to Grace, Kennedy and Company Limited.

Gray is currently a successful business contractor.

If successful in his bid to become Member of Parliament, he said that his ultimate goal would be to work for the betterment of his constituents.

Gray, who is the sitting JLP councillor for the Hopewell division of the Hanover Parish Council, has worked with the party as constituency organiser and as a member of several youth groups in Hanover and St James.

Why does he think you should vote for him?

“I am a man of integrity and dignity. I can be trusted, and I am hard working. The cry in the constituency is representation and I really want to make a difference and provide a bright future for the constituents. I have been involved in politics for nearly 20 years and I am very much committed to the cause of the people,” he said. “I have made an impression on people from all walks of life. I have made significant contributions in the field of education, construction, sports, cultural and infrastructural development and so, therefore, no one can challenge my commitment to the development of the constituency. I believe that hard work produces great success.”