No room in the JLP for new independent councillors – Hutchinson

WESTERN BUREAU:

JC Hutchinson, deputy leader of the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), says there is currently no room in that party to accommodate the three Westmoreland Municipal Corporation (WMC) independent councillors, who recently resigned from the opposition People’s National Party (PNP).

Hutchinson, who leads the JLP’s Area Council Four which covers Westmoreland, Hanover, St James, St Elizabeth and Trelawny, told The Gleaner on Tuesday that there are no vacant seats in Westmoreland to accommodate the trio, who now serve as independent councillors.

“As far as I am concerned, I am working with those who are the JLP caretakers in Westmoreland to be the ones to run in the municipal corporation elections,” said Hutchinson, in responding to claims that the JLP is courting the independent councillors in a bid to offer them membership and allow them to contest their seats on the JLP ticket in the upcoming local government elections.

Hutchinson said he could not say whether any of the three independent councillors have applied to the party for membership or have had any engagements with the party.

“We already have persons who have been working their seats over the years to be the councillors for the various divisions, and I am in support of these persons who are now the caretakers,” said Hutchinson.

At last month’s monthly meeting of the WMC, Ian Myles, councillor for the Little London division; Garfield James, councillor for the Sheffield division; and Lawton McKenzie, councillor for the Grange Hill division, who were all elected on the PNP’s ticket, severed ties with the party after Ian Hayles, who formerly represented the party in Hanover Western, was elected to represent Westmoreland Western.

Initially, the councillors took their objections to the PNP hierarchy but, after not getting a favourable response, they cut ties with the party. In the aftermath of their decision, the trio joined the four Jamaica Labour Party councillors to create a new majority in the WMC and ousted the then Deputy Mayor Danree Delancy, replacing him with Myles.

“I have no problem with those who are now independent councillors. That is their wish to become independent members, so they should run as independent candidates,” said Hutchinson.