Gordon Robinson | Wanted: a viable opposition

It seems PNP “leaders” have decided to be sheep instead of shepherds and thus likely to plunge Jamaica into the abyss of a de facto One-Party State.

The once proud PNP whose ideas inspired a generation in the 1950s and again in the 1970s and whose political acumen kept it at governance forefront in the 1990s/20-noughties has devolved into a disorganized, disorderly cacophony of noise and fury signifying the square root of flip all.

PNP’s decline becomes obvious after focus on electoral data. In 2016, PNP earned 433,735 votes (49.7 per cent); 31 seats; to JLP’s 436,972 (50.1 per cent); 32 seats. After nine years in Opposition and against a Government reeling from second term fatigue, PNP polled 401,398 votes (48.34 per cent); won 28 seats; JLP 412,705 votes (50.54 per cent); 35 seats. 

A. Parliamentary. Landslide!

By 2025, PNP’s share of votes declined by 1.36 per cent; its seat count by 3 (10 per cent). JLP’s vote share increased by 0.45 per cent; seat count by 3, (10 per cent). Between 2016-2025 the seat swing against PNP was six (9.5 per cent).

Golfers would call that a double bogey.

How did this political embarrassment occur? Why couldn’t PNP cruise to victory against a stumbling Government whose collective head was spinning after a series of political failures including messing up constitutional reform; losing a Speaker who also resigned as MP; and a series of ministerial upheavals that resulted in six (Warmington; Reid; Wheatley; Montague; Smith; Spencer) having to leave cabinet for a variety of reasons?

Elementary my dear Watson!

It’s leadership. PNP had none. JLP had a once in a generation leader. So PNP leadership concentrated on internal power struggles; JLP concentrated on public unity and public policy. 

Declining PNP fortunes can be directly traced to the creation and machinations of Rise United whose embryo was fertilized in 2006 when Omar Davies, supported by a campaign team that looked eeriely like the future Rise United, belatedly entered what had essentially been a two-person contest to succeed PJ Patterson. That candidacy split Peter Phillips’ votes and effectively killed his chances. 

Then, after full gestation, in 2019, Peter Bunting, leader of now formally launched Rise United, challenged Phillips, who succeeded Portia by unanimous acclaim, just before he was to contest his first general election as Party Leader. Shortly before, PNP lost a “can’t lose” by-election in Portland East that conveniently gave “Rise” to the ill-timed leadership challenge. This caused a compound fracture of already dislocated PNP and a crushing defeat in 2020.

PNP had approached 2016’s election like George Foreman, in 1974, who felt he only needed turn up to win the “Rumble in the Jungle”. Portia, exuding invulnerability, treated media queries about possible loss with scorn. Having lost through complacency, the rot set in as personal purpose trumped party prospects. Under pressure from the outset, Peter Phillips never stood a chance of asserting authority as leader. So 2020 was inevitable.

After that electoral debacle it wasn’t enough for Rise United to rapidly dispose of Peter Phillips. Political paranoia appeared to drive subsequent party policy as the concept of keeping enemies closer than friends seemed not to be even a footnote in Rise United’s forward planning. Unlike Andrew Holness, who kept 2013 challenger Audley Shaw’s supporters close and gave them vital roles to play in Party and Government, Mark Golding’s approach seemed aimed at purging PNP of any who wouldn’t bend the knee.

Or, if purging wasn’t his intent, then awkwardness or unskilled leadership or both led to the same result. 

A contested NEC election for Party Chairman lost by Mark’s preferred candidate was the first sign that division rather than unity was Rise United’s modus operandi. Several important party officials, perhaps unwilling to bend the knee, left. With them went supporters. Left with less than the whole Party formerly known as PNP, Rise United began to campaign against the government on intellectual issues like CCJ and corruption.

And, boy oh boy, did PNP bang on about corruption. “I come to serve not to scrape” became a mantra. Nobody cared.

Lookie here, Mark. Not one single general election since Independence has ever been won or lost on corruption. Every one, except for 1980 when the central issue was ideology, has been won/lost on the economy.

Every. Single. One!

Even the now notorious “Dudus election” of 2011 where the State’s egregious defense of a murderous drug don weighed against it, JLP might’ve slithered through if it wasn’t for the economy which was in its worst shape since 1962.

It’s. The. Economy. Stupid!

Why do you think this Government is so adamant about passing the NaRRA Bill? It has little to do with public policy. It understands Jamaican politics in a way Rise United doesn’t. If Melissa damage isn’t fixed quickly; if the economy hasn’t returned to the sort of growth, however anemic, it experienced in 2025, JLP fears that even a political neophyte like Mark Golding might have a chance of evicting them from Jamaica House in 2030.

While JLP was paying down debt as a priority, Mark was whining and complaining that Government wasn’t handing out goodies by redirecting $40 billion from debt repayments to social service subsidies and reducing inflation. Now what if that asinine advice had been heeded? What if profligacy had replaced pragmatic parsimony? What if we’d continued on the path that, over decades, brought us to the economic bankruptcy of 2011?

THIS is not the PNP that Portia Simpson-Miller and Peter Phillips led. THIS is Rise United a party whose philosophy is vitriolic verbosity over principled practicality; bullying over business; and power before plan.

This Opposition Party needs a radical overhaul. Every independent Jamaican must try to help guide Rise United back to becoming PNP. If we don’t, we’re doomed to a fourth JLP term which, based on experience, is sure to feature arrogance, entitlement and greed. So Jamaica needs a stronger, more focused, less disorganized and disorderly PNP. We need a viable Opposition.

How does that happen?

Firstly PNP needs to take a step back; apply focused self-reflection; and appreciate that the ill-fated Rise United experiment is an abject failure. It has already condemned PNP to two losing elections; has been myopic in political messaging; and its leadership is out of touch with the average Jamaican voter.

Its time is unlikely to ever come. Time for a change! Better must come!

In my opinion, the fundamental issue must be PNP’s political platform. The days of idle chatter about corruption in the absence of any real anti-corruption infrastructure is a waste of everybody’s time. We all know Jamaican politics is corrupt. Whichever party is handed the keys to Jamaica House is likely to experience multiple corruption scandals. This is due to systemic concentration of power; non-existent governance checks and balances; and a justice system requiring generational patience.

In that context ridiculous finger-pointing “You carrup!”; “No you carrup!!” enters and exits voters’ heads without interference.

So, on corruption, PNP should develop a platform that recommends the creation of an effective anti-corruption agency with prosecutorial powers. That agency can’t be wasting time wading through irrelevant Statutory Declarations from every Junior Doctor or teacher who earns a Government salary but has no authority/opportunity to award Government contracts. Jamaica’s anti-corruption framework must include constitutional protection and extended tenures to ensure political independence.

Then PNP could take a close look at JLP’s performance on the economy; identify main weaknesses (e.g. productivity) and devise actual programs to address those deficiencies. For pity’s sake stop the arbitrary griping and complaining about every real or imagines slight; take seriously your task to represent the people; and stop advocating for Government as Sugar Daddy.

Finally there’s the critical issue of leadership needed that’s capable of inspiring party hierarchy and foot-soldiers plus attracting popular island wide support (especially from independents) not just from party “delegates”. The current crop of Rise United malcontents who came to leadership by divisive strategies won’t make the cut. 

In my opinion, they are not only unqualified for leadership but so are those One PNP Members who bent the knee rather than fight for the soul of the Party. PNP leadership aspirants should swallow their ambitions before they choke on them; take a hard look at what PNP needs for electoral success; and appoint a new leader by acclamation to avoid further internal division.

Peace and Love.

Gordon Robinson is an attorney-at-law. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com