PNP for the poor - Dayton Campbell touts 'radical' wealth redistribution ahead of polls
Published:Monday | March 2, 2020 | 12:21 AM
Romario Scott
Gleaner Writer
Firebrand politician Dr Dayton Campbell is pleading with supporters to believe that the People's National Party (PNP) can win in the next general election, even as he courted controversy, pitching the need for a redistribution of wealth in the country.
Campbell, who was addressing a PNP meeting last night in St Andrew West Rural, where political neophyte Krystal Tomlinson was installed as the party’s standard-bearer, pointed out that over the past decades, election results have not gone as they had been predicted by pundits.
“You have people out there saying what is the PNP's message and how PNP can’t win.
“I want to remind you, Comrades, [of] the last four general elections called: In 2002, them say PNP couldn’t win because you can’t get four terms. In 2007, Portia Simpson [Miller] rating was higher than [Andrew] Holness rating deh right now, and we lost the election. In 2011, dem seh we can’t win, we give them a landslide. In 2016, we seh we can’t lose …, so the last four elections haven’t gone as has been expected. This one, dem say we can’t win, but we must believe we can win!” charged Campbell, who himself had made such pronouncements recently as he led Peter Bunting in a fight to oust Dr Peter Phillips as president of the PNP last year.
Campbell had criticised Phillips' ability to lead the PNP to victory, citing several polls and soundings on the ground.
The St Ann North West member of parliament told Comrades that it was time the PNP look seriously at the issues facing poor people.
“Whether you want to call it socialism, or anything you want call it, we must accept that there is a need to have a radical redistribution of the wealth in this country so that the poor man can have his part in this country as well,” Campbell declared while addressing orange-clad supporters last night at the Golden Spring Community Centre.
“It is not enough for just who have a get more pon what them have and those who don’t have a sacrifice so who have already can get more,” Campbell added.
The Commitment to Reducing Inequality Index of 2018 had Jamaica at 96 out of 157 countries. Out of 25 countries in the Latin America and Caribbean region, Jamaica ranked fourth from the bottom at 21.
The index looks at the three main pillars of social spending, taxation, and labour.