Six months after his party suffered defeat in the September 2025 General Election, Opposition Leader Mark Golding has used his opening remarks in his Budget presentation to declare the People’s National Party (PNP) to be stronger and having momentum.

“The change in the political landscape of our great island that occurred in September of last year has profoundly altered the trajectory of Jamaica’s future. The result ensured that this budget speech, my fifth as party president and leader of the Opposition, is delivered from a platform of strength, momentum and national validation,” said Golding.

He pointed to the doubling of the party’s seat count from 14 to 28 after the walloping it took from the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) in the 2020 election, as “living, breathing proof that our national movement is once again firmly on a path to assuming the responsibilities of government”.

“The work put in since 2020 has borne bountiful fruit, and reset deep roots in all corners of Jamaica. It is now surely a matter of when, not if,” said Golding.

“While we did come up just short of outright victory last time, the swing is undeniable, the margins are shrinking and the writing is there on the wall for all to see,” he added.

Golding told the House that the 2025 election ushered in a new generation of parliamentarians along with several who had suffered temporary setbacks in the COVID election of 2020.

“Dynamic, energised and eager to deliver, these voices ranging from Negril in the west to the eastern tip of Portland have connected with the voters and empathised with their needs, goals and dreams,” he said.

Taking a swipe at the JLP, Golding said, “Unlike so many of the debutants seen in this House after the 2020 Covid election, they are very much here to stay. It is my great honour to serve alongside you, and look forward to doing so for many years to come,” he continued, seeming to put an end to speculation that he is about to quit representational politics.

According to him, “The combination of these youthful, ambitious souls with the experienced hands of the previous generation, including myself and my fellow long-term PNP stalwarts, has created a parliamentary team for the times we are living in, ready to hold this government to maximum accountability and to guide the direction that this House flows in, even from the Opposition benches”.

Golding declared the PNP to be the party of the people while the Government looks out for itself and its interests.

“While we came up just short – and only a few members on that side know the truth as to why – the writing is very much so on the wall,” he declared.

“Gone are the days of intensely partisan, quasi-authoritarian governance that held sway when the Opposition only held 14 seats. Gone are the days of arrogant sneers from the Government benches when certain politically-aligned media houses flood the airwaves with misinformation about disunity on this side. We deh yah now and we solid like a rock. The writing is very much on the wall,” he concluded.

-Lynford Simpson