CHAIRMAN of the Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP) Communication Taskforce Senator Abka Fitz-Henley has argued that there is a profound difference in the messaging emerging from the platforms of the two major political parties in the run-up to the looming general election.

According to Fitz-Henley, there has been a positive message coming from the JLP platforms while the same cannot be said about the People’s National Party (PNP).

Addressing a JLP St Andrew South Eastern workers’ meeting on Sunday, Fitz-Henley charged that there has been “the blood and fire and war cries” from the PNP platforms.

“Quite frankly, if we in the communication team of the Jamaica Labour Party proposed a blood and fire narrative and said let’s print some T-shirts with that messaging, and also pushed a message I recently heard coming from the PNP platform about being ready for war, our party leadership would have a serious problem with that. We’d perhaps be scoffed at because that cannot be a serious message in 2025,” said Fitz-Henley.

“That proposal of war and blood and fire would never be considered among our communication ranks — much less be allowed to pass the stage of approval and publication — because we in the Jamaica Labour Party understand that Jamaica is over that type of politics. Sure, there are ways and means of activating the base, but this country has been through too much and has a history which involves political violence, to countenance a messaging of war and blood and fire,” added Fitz-Henley.

He said the JLP is focused on messaging which involves indicating that the party has been, and remains, active and strong in pursuing policies which directly improve the lives of the Jamaican people.

Fitz-Henley said the ‘Choose Jamaica’ narrative which has been emerging from JLP platforms is indicative of a party which remains focused on taking decisions and pursuing programmes which redound to the benefit of Jamaica, above any other consideration.

“When we say we choose Jamaica, part of that messaging is that the Government of Prime Minister Andrew Holness has pursued a raft of carefully curated policies which have resulted in a record-low unemployment rate, a record-low poverty rate, and the lowest murder rate seen in Jamaica in several decades.

”We have, and continue to make, a direct choice between the political temptation to ‘run wid it’ and [instead] said, ‘Look here, our brand of politics has to be characterised by decisions and investments which yield direct, positive outcomes for our people,’” said Fitz-Henley.

He told the Labourities that as the election campaign gathers steam the JLP is able speak to it being a “conscientious Government”.

According to Fitz-Henley, this is evidenced by the fact that the Administration not only delivered a billion-dollar care package during COVID-19 but “has increased pensions, more than doubled the minimum wage, and delivered social security assistance — including an increased PATH (Programme of Advancement Though Health and Education) allocation — and on three occasions reduced the number of people who pay income tax”.