Dear Editor,

A faction in the People’s National Party (PNP) had long been dissatisfied with former President Portia Simpson Miller’s leadership of the party.

Even while she held power, it was reported that these members plotted to remove her, believing that the party required a leadership class that mirrored their own ideals — upper class, intelligent, well educated, well travelled, and politically seasoned. To them, “Mama P”, as she was so fondly called, was far too unsophisticated, too unpolished, and too much a creature of the grass roots to represent Jamaica on the international stage. Her lack of eloquence, in their eyes, was a liability, and every political misstep seemed magnified by that lens.

When Simpson Miller eventually lost the general election to Andrew Holness and the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), her critics seized the moment to push her aside. The natural successor, Peter Phillips, stepped into leadership, only to fall once again to Holness. For this faction, this was further proof that he, too, was not the man to restore the PNP to its glory.

And now, dear readers, the very same story unfolds with Mark Golding. Like Phillips, he is regarded as a man of honesty, stability, and integrity, armed with the right experience and knowledge to advance Jamaica’s economy. But he, too, has failed to defeat Holness, and so the verdict is written in the ballot: The people did not choose him.

The recent numbers tell us much. In the local government elections, the PNP would have lost by just a single seat. In the general election, it rose from 14 seats to 28 — progress, but not victory. This shows that while rejection is undeniable, there are stirrings that Jamaicans are beginning to warm to what the party has to offer.

Still, the truth is clear: Jamaica is today a brawling, outspoken nation — confident, creative, and determined not only to influence the world but to monetise that influence. The people yearn for leadership that reflects the industries defining their generation: entertainment, cuisine, the digital economy, communication, and innovation. These are the realms in which the youth spend their time.

Thus enters Damion Crawford. He is, without question, the natural fit. He embodies the language, the energy, and the vision of core Jamaica. For the PNP to win, every other aspirant must set aside personal ambitions and rally around him. The party must cease clinging to notions of who is “proper” or “deserving”. Political parties are for winning elections and answering the call of the people.

Sir Crawford, a word to you: Do not squander your political capital across this island unless you are given the mantle of leadership. If you must be the one to carry every constituency, then surely you must also be the leader. At the next conference the PNP must face this truth. If its aim is truly to govern, then they must present the Jamaica of today with the leader it desires.

Lady Whistledung

ladywhistledung@gmail.com