NEWPORT, Manchester — Member of Parliament (MP) for Manchester Southern Robert Chin says he is “excited” that former Manchester Central MP Peter Bunting will be his opponent at the next parliamentary election.

“I heard the announcement that Mr Bunting has finally made up his mind after three years and, on the eve of a local government election, to come to south Manchester. Naturally, there are mixed views regarding his announcement,” Chin said, while pointing to the fact that the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) controls the Porus and Grove Town divisions in the constituency.

“My performance in office, after three years, speaks for itself… I heard him saying that the people deserve better representation and so I am asking if it is that representation that he gave to Central Manchester why they voted him out of the constituency,” added Chin.

Bunting lost to the ruling JLP’s Rhoda Crawford in the September 3, 2020 General Election. Crawford polled 8,139 votes to Bunting’s 6,989.

Bunting had won three consecutive times in Manchester Central on a People’s National Party (PNP) ticket, from 2007, along with another triumph in Clarendon South Eastern, his first, over former Prime Minister Hugh Shearer in the 1993 General Election.

In his announcement on Sunday, which was posted on the PNP’s Manchester Southern
Facebook page, Bunting reiterated that he hadn’t intended to return to representational politics.

However, he said that, following calls from PNP supporters and representatives in Manchester Southern, he reconsidered.

Chin, in a video released on Wednesday night, said Bunting is being described as “power-hungry”.

“There are some who are of the view that he should go back to Central Manchester and clean up the mess which he left there. Some Comrades don’t want him here. They credit him with single-handedly destroying their beloved party, and the Labourites here are equally motivated to keep him out of the constituency,” said Chin.

“There are some who think he is power-hungry and he just wants to get back into the lower House of Parliament. For me, I am excited that he is coming to South Manchester. People know him and what he has to offer and that will work against him. When the general elections are called I would have had a track record of excellence to show to the constituency that I deserve another term to continue this great and glorious work upon which I have embarked,” added Chin.

Regarding the upcoming local government elections due by the end of February, Chin expressed confidence.

“Mr Bunting is just coming on the road. However, my team and myself have been on the road. We have been putting in the work, serving our constituents with dignity and pride. I can assure that when the polls are closed and the ballots are counted I will be sending four JLP councillors to the Manchester Municipal Corporation,” he said.

Chin created a political upset when he unseated Michael Stewart of the PNP by 890 votes in the 2020 General Election. Chin polled 6,826 votes to Stewart’s 5,936.

Back in 2016, however, Stewart won the seat comfortably by 1,176 votes — polling 8,398 to the JLP’s Hidran McKulsky’s 7,222 votes.

Chin was parachuted into the constituency as a late replacement for former JLP standard-bearer Junior Robinson, who bowed out suddenly one week before nomination day.

Prior to the 2020 General Election, the last time the JLP won Manchester Southern in a contested poll was in 1980. The seat was retained in the snap parliamentary election of 1983 that was not contested by the PNP.