Warmington fired up for general election

CONTROVERSIAL MEMBER of Parliament (MP) Everald Warmington has declared that he withdrew his resignation as a member of the party’s leadership to block the People’s National Party (PNP) from regaining state power in the upcoming general election.

“My position from what I am seeing is that they will stop at nothing to gain power and my job is to do what I can to stop them from getting power because they will be very dangerous in so doing,” Warmington told The Gleaner in an interview yesterday.

The veteran politician had resigned as Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation early in March in the wake of his comments that he would withhold public funds from a PNP councillor.

He had also resigned as chairman of the party’s Area Council Two.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness had reported that Warmington tendered his resignation following a meeting between them.

“I thanked him for his service in that capacity and Minister Warmington expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to serve,” Holness said then.

But Warmington, in a TVJ interview, said that he was fired and vowed that he would no longer be working for the party.

“After 55 years I have finished working with the JLP, at this stage, I’ll be working for a few selected candidates if they want me to.

“I’ve resigned as chairman of Area Council Two and my national profile of working with the party is in doubt now, I have no regret in working for Andrew Holness because I don’t regret nothing I do, I have no regrets having worked for him, help him, you can even say protect him against the vipers but the question is will I do it again?” he asked.

However, in a turn-about, Warmington yesterday informed party executives via a letter that he was withdrawing his resignation as chairman and was fully committed to working for the party.

“As I said in my letter to my colleagues, I believe I need to work, be a part of returning the JLP to Government and maintaining Andrew Holness as prime minister.

“I think I can do a better job leading Area Council Two, this is the reason to strengthen the team, we need a strong team to ensure that the Labour party returns to power and Andrew Holness as prime minister,” he said.

Warmington’s backpedalling on his resignation, however, did not come as a shock as he was among members of the JLP who were seen vigorously defending the prime minister on Thursday against the Opposition after Holness led a walkout during Opposition Leader Mark Golding’s Budget presentation.

The government legislators stormed out of Parliament after Golding raised concerns about MP for St Andrew East Rural Juliet Holness presiding as Speaker while being the spouse of the head of government.

Following the walkout, Warmington was seen engaging the members of the Opposition in a verbal spat

Julian Robinson, the shadow minister of finance and the public service, was, however, heard telling Warmington repeatedly, “Go outside, you prime minister fired you.”

But commenting on the issue, Warmington said, “The posturing of the Opposition at this stage… based on their attack on the prime minister and his wife tells me where they want to go with this election and I want to be there in the trenches to prepare for them.

“Mark Golding going to question the position of the Speaker and the prime minister, he was in Parliament and applauded when she was elected and as I said to him when I came back in the House, ‘you have descended so low’ because your own party seconded the nomination, then the other members from his side got up and congratulated her. Peter Phillips said that’s why he came to the House that day to witness it, he applauded and now he is going to attack her,” he added.

Meanwhile, asked if he has moved past the disappointment he felt when he was asked to step down by the prime minister, Warmington said, “The PM had no choice and I wholeheartedly accept his decision.

“It gives me more time to do what I have to do and it gives me more time to be out in the field not only to work for the people of South West St Catherine, but to work for the party all over. It gives me the freedom and gives me the freedom to speak,” he added, noting that he is just getting started.

Warmington reiterated that he’ll be standing firmly for the party and will be working full time to secure another victory for them in the next general election and to return Holness as prime minister.

“That’s the only thing I have to do after 55 years, I have nothing left to do,” he said.

tanesha.mundle@gleanerjm.com