Jaevion Nelson | Politicians should work to build legacies

Our democracy has, sadly, been characterised by the abysmal performance of far too many politicians – some of whom their only accolade seems to be long service. Undoubtedly, this has contributed to the apathy, disillusionment, and high levels of distrust in our society. The consequence of all of this is a lack of confidence that they will make a difference when elected.

Earlier this week, first-time Member of Parliament (MP) Rhoda Crawford presented during the State of the Constituency Debates. She spoke, at length, about the work she completed in her first year in office, shared some plans, and recommended that the Government revisits its formula for allocating funds through the Constituency Development Fund (CDF).

Crawford’s presentation is a glimmer of hope. It got me thinking about a conversation with some friends, a few years ago, about the legacy politicians leave when they demit office. I shared with them that many of our favourite and more popular MPs preside over some of the most socially and economically deprived communities in the country. Their legacy was questionable.

MPs have tremendous responsibilities. It’s a daunting job, especially for those with few donors, little connections, and constituencies with needs well above the CDF allocation. It’s a lot of interests to balance and, at the end of the day, their constituents will judge whether they are/were a good MP or not. According to the (UK) Speaker’s Conference on Parliamentary Representation, “A good MP will make a positive difference to the community he or she represents. An MP can express the concerns of their community to Parliament and ensure people’s experiences are recorded and understood. He or she can press for changes which will increase the community’s well-being and prosperity… An MP will bring their knowledge and understanding of their constituents’ lives, concerns and interests, as well as their own life experience, to bear on their work.”

ON THAT PATH

Crawford seems to be on that path. Her presentation sets the right tone as someone focused on leaving a legacy she can be proud of. Among her long list of achievements are: $28.5 million for road patching and rehabilitation; continued work on the Greater Mandeville Water Supply Improvement Project which will benefit 35,000 people; tuition grants to 103 students; 130 tablets and laptops to students; certification of 100 constituents through community-based training programmes with HEART; support to 214 farmers; 2,500 care packages to those in need; and 70 compassionate grants, among others.

In addition to her constituency work, she sat on the Joint Select Committee to review the Sexual Harassment Bill and thereafter contributed to the debates in the Parliament. She also contributed to the debate on the Microcredit Act which was passed on January 19 in the House. She is a member of the HR Committee of the Parliament and the CDF Committee which reviews constituency projects submitted to the CDF by all 63 MPs. Importantly, she used her presentation to draw attention to an issue MPs often complain about – the ‘one size fits all’ distribution of resources via the Constituency Development Fund. As she rightly said, ‘it is not equitable to use an identical model of distribution in all 63 constituencies’ when they all differ in sizes and needs. She said, “The time has come for us to accelerate our examination of systems and processes to determine what needs to be revamped and/or revised to allow for greater efficiencies and value for spend.”

A 20-year-old constituent shared with me that, “Though confidence in government is not where it should be as a result of years of gross neglect, there is a feeling that your issues may be addressed now. This was not the sentiment that existed before. As a constituent, I believe that she is making some good moves and I’m not disappointed with my decision in the last general election. She has managed to upgrade a few of the roadways and while I’m unhappy that water still has to be trucked to some communities, I understand that these issues cannot be fixed overnight.”

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING

Crawford wants to be remembered as the MP who transformed lives and communities across party lines, and it seems she is doing just that. Another young constituent expressed that, “She has been absolutely amazing even before she became an MP. I’ve watched her put the residents of Central Manchester NEEDS first. Our roads are better, our concerns are met, our pleas are not overlooked.”

I asked my diehard Comrade aunt who lives and votes in Manchester Central what she thinks. According to her, Crawford “is performing; she is doing well. I cyaan tell nuh lie. She is working. As a Comrade, I can tell you she works.” She made sure to point out, to me, that although she is impressed, she “nah vote fi har”.

Of course, Crawford is not the only exemplary MP. Thankfully, there are more than a handful of them who are working hard to ensure good governance and representation. Julian Robinson continues to be a benchmark for transparency and accountability in his administration of CDF. Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn has been strident in her advocacy for women to have access to safe, legal and affordable options to terminate pregnancies. My MP, Lothan Cousins, has been working assiduously in Clarendon South Western to address a wide range of issues affecting constituents. Ann-Marie Vaz is the definition of what for the people truly means through her work in the constituency. Similarly, Alando Terrelonge is always in his constituency meeting with people, distributing care packages or supporting the vaccine programme on the ground.

I sincerely hope our politicians will think about and build their legacy. If more of them paid attention to this, it would improve the quality of representation, despite the challenges they face. Undoubtedly, it would engender hope and trust and, perhaps, lead to increased voter turnout over time.

Jaevion Nelson is a human-rights, economic and social justice and inclusive development advocate. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and jaevion@gmail.com or follow him on twitter @jaevionn.