Data on Jamaicans' views influenced Golding's decision to renounce British citizenship

Opposition Leader Mark Golding has disclosed that data on the views of Jamaicans on the issue of political leaders holding dual citizenship informed his decision to take steps to renounce his British citizenship.

Golding announced his intention to renounce his citizenship of the United Kingdom on Sunday during a People's National Party (PNP) meeting.

Golding said he had pledged that if it became apparent that the public's view was that political leaders should be exclusively Jamaican citizens he "would take that into account."

"Comrades we have reached a point now where we have some data on the views of the public on this matter and...I do not want my status to be something which could hold the party back, impact the party negatively or any of our candidates who are on the way to victory in difficult seats which we are looking to win to have any kind of disadvantage because of my status," Golding said.

He said, as a result, he has decided to "take that issue off the table" by renouncing his British citizenship.

In May, Golding indicated that he remains a British citizen but insisted that there was no legal basis for him to renounce his status in the United Kingdom at this time.

“I am a Jamaican citizen by birth. I am also a UK citizen by descent. I have not renounced my British citizenship as it is not legally necessary for me to do so,” Golding told The Gleaner then.

However, since then there have been calls for him to renounce, particularly from members of the ruling Jamaica Labour Party.

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