The notion that the People’s National Party (PNP) should contest the imminent local government elections based on the Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP) failure to deliver on promises is unworthy. Give them time! This negativity, sadly, is not of a PNP hoping to get its groove, find favour with voters, and win. Why score points on a new Cabinet which carries forward good policies. We applaud continuity!

By the way, an International Monetary Fund #2 letter to fast-track economic growth was envisaged long ago as we need to embed the gains and the Economic Growth Council. It is a good device in pursuit of these goals but needs tweaking. So we must offer helpful critiques. More anon.

The JLP margin of victory was one seat but the PNP got a back-siding. This shock came on the heels of successful and absolutely necessary economic adjustment — all tests passed with support from the Opposition. The PNP began as a thinking party, big hearted men (When will a woman start a party?) with a democratic socialist core; empowering people to shake off shackles, uplift self and prosper Jamaica.

Portia must avoid a negative campaign; use the opportunity to restore credibility and market local government transformation. This election campaign must present the PNP’s recent success; the beauty, symmetry and fairness of its mantras.

The JLP should do no less. This campaign should deal with relevant, effective and sustainable policies and we should invoke rules for candidates and campaigning. We need job descriptions. A councillor draws pay as a graduate teacher, so we need his curriculum vitae. We need to know the candidate so his resume and statement of purpose should in all libraries and on the Internet. A “fit and proper” and credit report must be filed with the Electoral Office of Jamaica. Family matters, so a candidate should introduce his family on the campaign platform. If you are not proud to have family and your kids hear and see you, then “lef di wuk!” Imagine, “Mummy, why is daddy shouting and saying bad words to those people?” Raise the tone of politics. If you don’t meet a candidate’s family, don’t vote for him. The core functions of the parish council, its committees and members must be public so we can assess their work. We need revolution — a new model and a quantum uplift in service delivery.

A parish council is one model but it does not work for us. It emerged by happenstance, as when the British isles emerged from a feudal time the established church (Anglican) was the arm of the State serving the needy by its vestry council; named after the part of the church (usually the sacristy) in which meetings were held: to record births, deaths; fix roads, fight fires and assuage ills using State and church funds. The church had purpose, staff, good organisation — only the military compared — and a holistic mandate. So Anglicans came with planters, local government was born, and later the vestry morphed into parish councils to match the parish church.

For centuries the vestry worked for poor whites, and later blacks, but with disestablishment the subvention went and politicians took over. Vestries had faith, abiding honesty and massive management structure of the Church; so detachment was a boon to venal and corrupt politicians. Recall, the Church was all powerful and could sanction or banish planters and kings, so few messed with vestry stuff. A parish council was often corrupt — an incubator for national politicians so the infection spread — a uniquely unaccountable body. A local politician spends taxes yet reports to another group of politicians. This way corruption lies. Local government reform involves getting billions from aid agencies for reports which affirm parish councils because people like them – who dislikes a feeding tree? Too many councils, too ill focused, wasteful. It is too misused to be saved so let’s embrace a new model. Do we need 550 candidates, 228 local politicians for three million people? Are more politicians better? No! The UK has 600 Members of Parliament for 70 million people; we have 63 MPs, do the maths!

City and county government can work; Cornwall, Middlesex, Surrey, plus metropolitan Kingston, MoBay and Mandeville — six local parliaments empowered with top talent and resourced to execute their remit. Cities as New York, Boston; rural counties have governments and police forces. A portfolio for “food production” in Middlesex County Council may not be in MoBay Metropolitan Council. Disaggregate the police force under six police chiefs, with boards of commissioners (governing body) as happens in the UK, USA. Imagine the impact on crime when a chief has a manageable jurisdiction and when the quarterly crime stats are collated nationally; he is the top cop? Professional rivalry begets performance. The UK has over 40 police jurisdictions, each with a chief, and the London Metropolitan Police, with Scotland Yard detectives is tops — best paid, equipped and helps other forces. We must have bespoke solutions for each region then aggregate data for UN reports.

We would have “common services” for all forces to optimize costs. My advocacy for a local FBI-type entity using rebranded Independent Commission of Investigation can work. The UK has national police units and the USA the FBI which crosses all jurisdictions as normal police forces in America are local.

Big is better in governance. Some believe smaller local government units are more representative, but organisational theory speaks of critical mass to reap efficiencies; and our experience here teaches that closeness breeds collusion and corruption. Systems work better with some distance — professional or physical.

Finally, etiquette for the imminent campaign is key. The debates may be good if planned to benefit us, not politicians. They must explain to us their model of local government transformation. Stay conscious!

A black in the Royal Family?

Meghan Markle — eye candy Rachel in TV show

Suits — mixed race girlfriend of Prince Harry is getting stick in the racist British press who fear the fifth in line to the throne is hearing wedding bells. Harry defends her and Kensington Palace issued a reprimand to the media. Her first marriage was in Jamaica in 2011; he loves Jamaica, we love him and she is into global charity work in Africa. They have a lot in common and seem very much in love. Bolt as best man? Watch this space!

Franklin Johnston, DPhil (Oxon), is a strategist and project manager. Send comments to the Observer or franklinjohnstontoo@gmail.com.