JLP councillors back Newby for Clarendon North Western, glad to see Henriques go

The Jamaica Labour Party's (JLP) Clarendon North Western leadership is rallying behind former senator, Warren Newby as the preferred successor to outgoing Member of Parliament (MP) Phillip Henriques, whose departure is being hailed by key party forces in the constituency.

Despite several individuals expressing interest, Newby and attorney Corey Dunkley have emerged as the top contenders to lead the constituency in the general election due by September.

Henriques, however, insists on maintaining neutrality in the selection process.

“I’ve not given my support one way or the other for any of them because... it’s a party process. And I work with the party, and the party will make their decisions based on the information they have. And whatever that is, I will abide by and work with,” he said.

“I have done everything in my power and everything that I can to serve the people of North West," asserted Henriques, 61, who has served as MP since 2020. He cited personal and business reasons as the primary factors for his decision to step aside.

However, Henriques’ tenure has faced significant criticism from within the local JLP leadership, including from the two JLP councillors in the constituency—Clive Mundle and Collin Henry.

Mundle, the councillor for the Frankfield division, a JLP bastion, and deputy mayor in Clarendon, was particularly critical.

“He knows that he can’t continue. If he continues, then it’s automatically a loss for him,” he said. “If he was supposed to give us a trophy for worst-performing MP, I think he would win that trophy. And I make no apology for it. The party knows about it.”

While acknowledging Henriques’ contributions to education assistance, Mundle argued that the MP had neglected the infrastructure and farming needs of the rural constituency. “If you look at the road infrastructure, the road network, I mean, it’s in deplorable conditions,” he lamented.

Mundle says he is supporting Henry, who has applied to be the party's representative. But he said he would be ready to support Newby, who has been generating popular support.

“Newby has been in this constituency since 2007. He was the campaign manager for Michael Stern, who was successful in that election in 2007. So, the people already know him. ... I think if given the chance, the people will gravitate to him better than anyone else,” he said. He also argued that the leadership transition should have been initiated two years earlier to better prepare for the polls.

Henry, the councillor for the Thompson Town division, shared Mundle’s views, stating that Henriques’ continuation would jeopardise the JLP’s chances of retaining the seat. “The time has come for Henriques to pack his bags and go,” he declared, adding that his stance was not personal. “I am not saying that he can’t be a good member of Parliament, but certainly not for deep rural like North Western Clarendon.”

Henry acknowledged Newby’s political experience and signalled his willingness to support him.

“He’s no stranger to North Western Clarendon ...he has more political experience as well,” he said.

Kamiel Marshall, councillor-caretaker for the Ritchies division, and Courtney Bandoo, a former JLP councillor-caretaker for the Spalding division, also expressed strong support for Newby.

Marshall highlighted Newby’s charisma and organisational skills, saying, “I saw how he operated amongst the young people at that time. He was very organised on the ground. He has charisma, the way he deals with people and when he came back in the constituency, he remembered every worker. This is the kind of leadership that we want.”

According to Bandoo, Henriques is "the worst MP we ever had in the history of North West Clarendon. But, I think [Newby] can get by the party together and reassure the people".

Speculation that Dunkley, who is from an influential local family, enjoys Henriques’ backing has been denied by the outgoing MP.

Henriques also pushed back against some of the criticisms from JLP insiders, arguing that they stem from "political agendas".

“Much of the criticism of late has been primarily because there are political agendas that some leadership personnel are trying to put forward. They feel that it’s a good political strategy to try and malign and destroy a member of parliament so that it makes somebody else or themselves look better,” he told The Gleaner Monday.

Henriques defended his record, citing achievements in education, farming support, and road patching, while acknowledging the constituency’s challenges.

“Our road infrastructure is not good. I inherited a very poor system, and while we’ve made progress, I wish we could have done more,” he said. “False hope damages trust. From the start, I was upfront with constituents about what was possible.”

He highlighted the construction of two state-of-the-art infant schools in Kilsyth and Victoria, each costing over $40 million.

“These were overcrowded schools without a dedicated infant section. We made that a reality, something that hadn’t been done in 20 or 30 years,” he noted.

Despite the tensions, Henriques has expressed optimism about the JLP’s prospects in the constituency.

“The seat is not a seat that is running away with any numbers for either side,” he said. “But I feel very positive about the seat and, again, I will tell you that it requires hard work.”

Newby, 47, has significant political experience, having served as campaign manager for three JLP parliamentarians—Michael Stern, Gregory Mair, and Zavia Mayne, the current MP for St Ann South Western.

A former president of Generation 2000, the JLP’s young professional arm, Newby was appointed senator at age 30 and parliamentary secretary in the Bruce Golding administration from 2007-2011. He has also served as a junior minister. However, the political progress of Newby, considered a JLP star, stalled in the party following the leadership battles that pitted Audley Shaw, for whom he was the campaign manager, against current leader and prime minister, Dr Andrew Holness, over a decade ago.

Newby’s potential candidacy comes as Clarendon North Western continues to be a competitive seat. The JLP has dominated the seat established in 1944. It has got more competitive since 2002, when Carl Stone lost to the PNP’s Richard Azan, who remains the party's representative. The JLP won in 2007 and 2020, while Azan claimed 2011 and 2016 in tightly contested races. The largest margin was 944 votes in 2016, while the closest was the 2020 COVID-19 polls, where the JLP edged the PNP by just 139 votes.

Newby has declined to comment, while telephone calls to Dunkley have gone unanswered. Stern, a current deputy leader, has also declined to comment and directed queries to General Secretary Dr Horace Chang from whom a comment has been sought.

jovan.johnson@gleanerjm.com