Politicians talk a lot about change… But the truth is, no Government, no prime minister, can change a country by force of will or diktat alone… Real change isn’t provided; it’s created. It’s not given; it’s demanded. Not granted; but invented.

The choices we make as individuals…as workers, business owners, parents, all add up to something far greater.

And, if we are honest, change also requires sacrifice…and hard work.

It’s a big risk for a politician to say that. But the stakes are too high, and the rewards too great not to level with you.

So, change is hard. It takes time. But it is possible…”

— UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, January 4, 2023

As I listened to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speak about his priorities for the people of Great Britain I was impressed. Not only because of some of the priorities he outlined, but because of his openness and the risk he took to request that people hold his Government accountable if he didn’t.

His approach was modern and refreshing. Furthermore, he never promised the world; just five simple goals he felt would give people:

“This Government will always reflect the people’s priorities.

“People don’t want politicians who promise the Earth and fail to deliver. They want Government to focus less on politics and more on the things they care about…”

And so, he pledged to:

1) halve inflation to ease the cost of living and give people financial security;

2) grow the economy, creating better-paid jobs and opportunities across the country;

3) implement measures to ensure the national debt decreases to secure the future of public services;

4) urgently improve the standard in the National Health Service (NHS) to decrease wait times so people get the care they need faster;

5) create laws to stop small boats from bringing people to Britain illegally

Five promises were laid out at the beginning of the year. “No tricks… no ambiguity… We’re either delivering for you or we’re not… So, I ask you to judge us on the effort we put in and the results we achieve.”

Prime Minister Sunak was also unflinching in his position that building strong families was critical to making good on these promises. Therefore, parents needed support to manage the demands of their jobs while raising their children. As such, his Government would build family hubs to offer parents the support they need to raise a child.

In addition, he was making numeracy a central objective of the education system and increasing public funding in research and development to £20 billion to enhance world-leading strengths in artificial intelligence, life sciences, quantum, financial technology, and green technology.

What do Jamaicans want?

Over the past eight years the Government has promised prosperity. Yet, for most of our people, their standard of living has not improved, nor has their per capita income grown, as we continue to chase inflation.

Most banks and global economists predict that large economies are heading into a recession as three of the world’s largest economies — China, the European Union, and the United States — are all slowing down simultaneously.

Chief of the International Monetary Fund Kistakuna Georgieva expects one-third of the world economy to be in recession, and speculates that for countries that are not in recession it will “feel like a recession for hundreds of millions of people” as their lives get more challenging.

What are our Government’s priorities for us for 2023? When will we hear about them? At the opening of Parliament, in February 2023, when the minister of finance and the prime minister speak. This will be followed by a long sectoral debate that showcases the achievements of ministers, which is usually dated and laborious. The public views these as primarily intended to boost the egos of representatives in blusterous parliamentary satire.

I have said repeatedly that Jamaicans are tired of our current style of politics. They want disciplined leaders with innovative ideas that build a disciplined country to give them peace of mind, public safety, and economic opportunities for themselves and their children.

Not even Britain, from which we adopted our Westminster system, has chosen to use that traditional, old-fashion style of leadership to govern, which is late. But rather to be more proactive and prepared to meet the expectations of their population with substantive solutions.

Our people are demanding more and deserve more. Their priorities have been and continue to be:

1) a reduction in crime and violence to create a peaceful and safe society;

2) a globally competitive quality education they have access to;

3) a liveable wage capable of providing them with food, energy, transportation, and shelter;

4) access to good public health care services;

5) an economy that’s agile to create continuous growth and job opportunities with a primary focus on foreign exchange earnings

It would be safe to say that, as a country, we are not succeeding in any of these five areas. Except Haiti, most of our Caricom colleagues have achieved at least three of our people’s priorities.

These goals are within our grasp and achievable. However, rather than having lofty objectives, the Government of the day should streamline and be laser-focused on a simple action plan with stated, measurable goals for the people to know what they can expect for the upcoming year.

Prime Sunak has put his political capital on the line in a specific manner. While his Government may have other priorities, he is unwavering in delivering what his people consider most important to them.

It would be good to see our prime minister take a similar approach to his leadership.

While our Government may boast that all the macroeconomic indicators are heading in the right direction, the truth is that, for most of our people, their daily bread-and-butter issues are not.

So saying there is prosperity as the punchline to a sentence or paragraph in a political speech is vastly misleading when most people find it hard to buy food and pay their electricity bill in the same month.

It is time to be honest with people and tell them about the plan to build a better future in the short run that restores optimism, hope, and pride in Jamaica. Let’s work to give them the peace of mind they urgently crave to improve the quality of their lives and those of their children.

Lisa Hanna is Member of Parliament for St Ann South Eastern, People’s National Party spokesperson on foreign affairs and foreign trade, and a former Cabinet member.