MP: JLP support remains strong in May Pen North, Clarendon Central

Clarendon Central Member of Parliament Delroy Williams has pushed back against suggestions of discord within the constituency, insisting that the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) machinery remains united despite the defection of Councillor Tanyalee Williams in the Clarendon Municipal Corporation.

MP Williams also said that the support for May Pen Mayor Joel Williams is undiminished amid allegations of internal conflict following the defection of May Pen North Division councillor last week.

MP Williams was responding to questions from journalists last Friday outside the Clarendon Municipal Corporation, following a Supreme Court injunction restraining moves to remove the mayor and his deputy, Clive Mundle, through no-confidence motions.

The legal intervention came against the backdrop of shifting political loyalties at the corporation, where Councillor Williams’ crossing the floor to join the People’s National Party (PNP) caucus altered the balance of power and intensified scrutiny of the governing party’s internal relationships.

In a letter to JLP General Secretary Dr Horace Chang in September, the May Pen North councillor raised concerns about her treatment within the party, accusing MP Williams of sidelining her and undermining her standing in the division.

She further alleged that she had been prevented from participating in affairs at both the divisional and constituency levels and claimed that the MP had been introducing another individual as a prospective candidate for the division.

Her allegations have added to questions about the state of relations within the JLP, including speculation about the relationship between the MP and the mayor.

‘QUITE UNIFIED’

However, MP Williams sought to project a picture of cohesion, describing May Pen North as “quite cohesive, quite unified” and maintaining that residents remained firmly behind the JLP.

He also scoffed at suggestions of a rift between himself and Mayor Williams, laughing as he pulled the mayor towards him and embraced him.

“The views being expressed by the residents of May Pen North is consistent with us, and it’s consistent with their support – strong, historical – remaining very strong support to the Jamaica Labour Party,” he said.

Asked whether the division’s mood was bittersweet following the latest political developments, the MP said the residents “are disappointed as to what happened, but they are in a good mood, and they are with us. They are with us, and they are with the decisions we have taken”.

He expressed strong support for the mayor.

While his remarks projected solidarity between the party’s political representatives, MP Williams shied away from commenting on the allegations levelled by the councillor.

“I don’t think it is in our interest to have our internal issues be plastered all over,” he said, adding that such matters should be handled through the party’s established structures.

“I wouldn’t say anything negative about anyone in a public space. These are internal matters and they must be handled within the structures of the organisation.”

The MP added that he was confident that the councillor’s defection would not undermine the JLP’s electoral prospects in May Pen North.

“We will win the division quite comfortably in the next election,” he declared.

olivia.brown@gleanerjm.com