Mum’s the word - Crawford, Gordon not confirming interest in St Andrew East Central seat with Phillips in retirement lounge
Published:Monday | November 9, 2020 | 12:13 AMPaul Clarke/Gleaner Writer
At least two of the people said to be eyeing an eventual push to replace Dr Peter Phillips as member of parliament (MP) for the St Andrew East Central constituency once the incumbent steps down are mum on their aspirations.
Party insiders have revealed that former St Andrew East Rural MP Damion Crawford and Dennis Gordon, councillor for the Maxfield division in Phillips’ constituency, may jockey for the position as soon as the vacancy arises.
However, when contacted on Sunday, both men declined to confirm or deny an interest in the seat.
A straightforward “no comment” was all Crawford said when asked.
Crawford, a vice-president of the party, is one of the most popular faces in the PNP. But his penchant for brashness and unfiltered rhetoric have chafed members of the party hierarchy, conduct that was cited as hurting his chances in the failed by-election challenge to the Jamaica Labour Party upstart Ann-Marie Vaz in 2019.
Gordon, meanwhile, said that such talk was “premature” for him to speak on the issue as “there is no vacancy at the moment”.
A Phillips resignation would trigger a by-election in the traditional PNP stronghold, which is likely to be targeted by Prime Minister Andrew Holness after his 49-14 landslide on September 3 that doomed the outgoing opposition leader.
Phillips tallied 4,845 to JLP candidate Jodian Myrie’s 4,086 in the general election – his narrowest win this century.
On Saturday, Phillips ceased being People’s National Party (PNP) president after St Andrew Southern MP Mark Golding defeated St Ann South East MP Lisa Hanna in an internal election on the weekend.
Golding, who will by tradition become opposition leader, claimed the presidency with 1,740 votes to Hanna’s 1,444.
Phillips formally tendered his resignation as leader of the Opposition effective Saturday.
“In turn, the governor general will be informed tomorrow (Monday), formally, that Golding will be the new leader of the Opposition,” Fitz Jackson, the PNP chairman, told The Gleaner on Sunday.
Jackson said that Phillips has not disclosed when he would exit his St Andrew East Central seat.
“He has not given party officials any indication of a timeline for his departure from representational politics, therefore, at this time, it would be useful to allow space for the natural process of renewal in the party to take place,” said Jackson.