McDaniel to represent JLP in general election for South Trelawny

DEVON MCDANIEL, a 51-year-old furniture business operator from Warsop in Trelawny, is set to represent the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) in the next general election in South Trelawny.

The seat became vacant in September 2023 when member of parliament for the constituency Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert resigned.

Dalrymple-Philibert, the former Speaker of the House, resigned with immediate effect as both House Speaker and MP on September 20, amid a ruling by the Integrity Commission that she be charged for allegedly making false statements on her statutory declarations.

The charges concern her declarations from 2015 to 2021 and her failure to declare a $6-million vehicle.

The Integrity Commission, in a report that was tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, said Dalrymple-Philibert omitted to include the vehicle in her statutory declarations, and, therefore, her declarations were inaccurate and incomplete.

In response, she indicated that the omission was an oversight as she genuinely forgot about the car and that’s why it was not included in her filings.

“Since the Integrity Commission has decided to charge me criminally for an omission, I have considered the damage this has done to my reputation and have decided to tender my resignation, both as the Speaker of the House of Representatives and Member of Parliament for South Trelawny, with immediate effect,” Dalrymple-Philibert announced in a release at the time. “What has happened to me could have happened to any other member of the parliament, public servant, or civil servant.”

Constituency without MP

Since her resignation, the constituency has been without an MP, and McDaniel has now stepped forward as a challenger for the seat.

McDaniel previously served as a JLP MP for the constituency from 2002 to 2007, following his victory over the People’s National Party’s Doreen Chen at the polls in 2002. McDaniel tallied 1,525 votes to Chen’s 1,226.

“I moved out of the constituency on a strategic move by then JLP leader Bruce Golding. I will choose not to expand on that move. Although I was out of Parliament, I never left politics or South Trelawny. My house is in Warsop where I was born and still live,” said the one-term MP.

McDaniel is aware that all he wanted to achieve when he was MP was not successful. He pointed to some successes.

“We repaired and fenced four basic schools in the constituency and gave scholarships to needy students,” said McDaniel.

If he becomes an MP again, he hopes to make a difference in the available water to residents.

“My aim is to tap into the underground water supply in the area. It is time for farmers and residents to have a reliable water supply,” he said.

Looking at the voter turnout in the recent local government elections, the MP aspirant expressed disappointment.

“I am aware that getting people to vote is a problem. I plan to reach people in one-on-one talks as far as possible. The problem needs to be confronted and I plan to do so,” added McDaniel.

Ken Grant, an Albert Town resident, welcomes the return of McDaniel.

“It is a good move by the party. It guarantees a JLP representative for South Trelawny,” said Grant.

editorial@gleanerjm.com