PNP confident it can sweep Manchester
HATFIELD, Manchester — The three parliamentary aspirants and the only sitting Opposition Member of Parliament in Manchester, Mikael Phillips, stood with their divisional candidates here Sunday as they predicted a clean sweep in the upcoming local government elections.
Phillips, the MP for Manchester North Western; former MP for Manchester Central Peter Bunting, who is now bidding for Manchester Southern; mayor of Mandeville Donovan Mitchell, who is vying for Manchester Central; and Valenton Wint, aspirant for Manchester North Eastern, also said all hands will be on deck to regain constituencies once considered safe seats of the People’s National Party (PNP) in Manchester.
Wint, who has thrice unsuccessfully contested parliamentary elections on a PNP ticket, said he intends to end the Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP) three-decade control of Manchester North Eastern.
“We up in north-east have suffered… Thirty-one years, according to the man who calls himself Man a Yaad, and him have the audacity to be saying ‘and counting’,” he said in reference to MP Audley Shaw.
“My Comrades and friends of Manchester, I want to assure you that in the next general election [the] three seats that were taken — by whatever means — will be returned to the People’s National Party,” added Wint in his address to PNP supporters at a rally at Hatfield Primary School on Sunday.
He promised that if elected he would address the issue of water supply in Craighead.
“I have returned, Comrades, to ensure that you get proper roads and road repair. The people of north-east Manchester deserve better,” he said.
Mitchell, who replaced Bunting following his upset defeat to the JLP’S Rhoda Moy Crawford in the September 2020 General Election, said he is already in campaign mode.
“In 2020 a man tek out Clarks and seh him have Clarks; the other day when I checked, I have 40-odd pairs ready to take on central Manchester. Comrades, dem running a little rumour. Last week I was in Knockpatrick and one Comrade seh, ‘Is it true that Comrade Black is supporting the lady?’ I said, ‘Mash down that lie! Comrade Black has never been a Labourite. He will not be a Labourite…’ ” Mitchell said in reference to businessman and PNP activist Kenneth “Skeng Don” Black.
Mitchell, in the meantime, criticised the Government over its management of the health sector.
“When I look at the Mandeville Regional Hospital and see what the Labourites do to it, I feel bad in my spirit. People can’t get bed, nothing at all,” he said, adding that the outcome of the local government election will be a signal for the parliamentary election.
“Comrades, I want to tell you if you come from Georges’ Valley we are in it to win it. If you come from Heathfield we going to win it. If you come from Heartease we a guh to mash it down,” he said.
Mitchell said he will be vying to continue in Manchester Municipal Corporation.
“I am running as councillor for the Royal Flat Division first because I want the job to be a little bit easier — because when I slap them with these four men, I will put some people to go to bed so that the riding is easier,” added Mitchell.
Bunting, who reconsidered his announcement to leave representational politics last year, said Manchester Southern lacks good representation.
“I hear a lot of people talking about my return; a lot of Labourites talking. The only thing I have to say to them: ‘Unno did think seh me done? Mi just a come,’ ” he said, evoking laughter and cheers from supporters.
“[Even] the Labourites are welcoming of my entrance to South Manchester. They are excited. I guess even the Labourites want good representation,” added Bunting.
He defended his tenure in Manchester Central, saying, “We added 1,600 new public high school spaces in Central Manchester. We built three brand new basic schools. We built a classroom block for almost every single school in Central Manchester. When Kirkvine closed down we wouldn’t stop working until we brought BPO to Manchester — now thousands of young people have got a start through that.”
Phillips defended the PNP’S leadership and tenure in Manchester.
“All dem a run up and down a seh PNP never do nutten for Manchester, when I tell you if dem [ever] know what is coming, because from north west to central to south to north east, PNP river is coming down bank to bank,” he said.
“Under PNP we added classrooms right across Manchester; we have even built new schools. Under this Labourite Government, eight years [and] not one new school has been built in the parish of Manchester,” said Phillips.