Dear Editor,

Our dear prime minister is losing her touch and by extension the people. While there is incredible sympathy for “Sista P” as a woman, and among those who identify with “one leaders”, the rest of us cannot continue to sacrifice our future to irrational affection and loyalty.

As I listened to her speak at the People’s National Party (PNP) 77th Annual Conference, I felt a sense of déjà vu. I heard it all already. There was nothing aspirational, nothing inspiring.

I consider myself a balanced, uncommitted young professional, and I felt empty. The truth is that Sista P’s time has passed. I am respectful of age and experience and all that, but there is a reality, sometimes experience is irrelevant to the time; wisdom is what matters. To my generation, “Sista P” is irrelevant.

No matter how good the PNP is as a political organisation, political parties are usually limited only to mobilising their base. It is the leader of the party that attracts those outside of the party base. Portia Simpson Miller, in this sense, is a liability to the PNP. The last poll figures show her trailing her own party. However, the greater despair is that, except for Julian Robinson, the young people coming into the second tier of the PNP are worse than the people they hope to replace. I note that Peter Phillips, the PNP member with the most political capital, did not address the conference as would be expected when the economy is such a foremost topic in an election. It seems to me that the PNP are sensing what I feel, and the behind-the-scenes machinations have started to move.

Who should replace “Sista P”? Should it be Brother Paulwell or Brother Bunting? Personally, I prefer Sister Lisa Hanna.

Paul L Phillips

philliprowe288@gmail.com