Manchester bush tour

by Erica Virtue

Collin Virgo, general secretary of the Jamaica Labour Party's (JLP) mouth-piece G2K, is trying to unseat Michael Peart, the three-term People's National Party (PNP) member of parliament in Manchester South, in the upcoming general election.

In the 1997 general election, Peart polled 8,030 votes to beat now minister without portfolio in charge of the public service, Arthur Williams, who notched 4,966. It was the third time Peart had racked up more than 8,000 to win. In 2002, he polled 8,088 to the JLP's 5,656. The JLP received 690 more votes in 2002, while Peart only received 58 more. In 2007, Peart scored 8,290, but it was the first time the JLP registered more than 7,000 votes. The party received 7,455 to lose by 835 votes. The JLP votes were 1,699 more than in 2002, while Peart increased his majority by only 202 votes.

If this trend continues, Virgo will walk into Gordon House and Peart's political career would be brought to a painful end.

The JLP has the information I have presented and would have been energising the base to pull out all the stops to get out the vote. It's against this background that I was bewildered by last Wednesday's motorcade through the constituency bush.

Well planned? UH ...

Motorcades are usually arranged from party central, and so Virgo may have been a willing participant. Nothing's wrong with that. But, he has been working the constituency, something that has done well for his weight (and that's good!), so it is fair to assume he would have helped to plot the path.

In my opinion, the first wrong turn was made at Whitney Turn in Porus, turning right into the bush across the railroad. Those of us hoping for news would drive more than two hours through swathes of grasslands in deep rural Manchester hoping to see something unusual, like a crowd of 500 people waiting to see the new prime minister. It did not happen.

That two-and-a-half-hour drive to Harmons, St Toolis, Pusey Hill, Victoria Town, Grove Town, Resource, Red Gate, Cross Keys, New Broughton, Restore, Plowden, Brown Town and Alligator Pond, did not pull out the 8,030 votes Peart polled in 1997. By the time of the last meeting at Swaby's Hope, maybe, just maybe, it pulled out Peart's 1997 votes.

But the signs were clear from early that not even with the presence of the prime minister, it would not be a jaw-dropping crowd.

When the Gleaner news team arrived before 10 a.m., there were seven members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force at the Whitney Turn junction. There were even fewer supporters. The tour did not depart until 12:23 p.m. as it was awaiting the prime minister, who did not arrive at the scene until 12:08 p.m. After a brief address by Desmond McKenzie and Audley Shaw, it departed.

Seems trees are voting too

The next two and a half hours were inexplicable. Reckless and dangerous driving from some of the participants, with some local police intervention, and a loudspeaker talking to the trees and bushes characterised the journey. Andrew Holness, Shaw, Virgo and Danville Walker were waving atop sun-roofed vehicles, offering Princess Diana waves, with Audley throwing kisses to the small crowd.

The security detail assigned to the leaders did their best to block media teams trying to stay close for the spot meetings, which were very infrequent, while no security personnel were strategically part of the motorcade to ensure good driving behaviour. As a result, dangling body parts were on display, despite pleas from JLP officials to obey the rules.

Young Virgo must have been disappointed with the turnout. Prime Minister Holness could kick, scream and criticise the media all he wants, there was very little to write about, and there was amazement that he did not address the tour at the lead-off.

Without the figures I presented, nothing in Wednesday's motorcade could convince an onlooker that Virgo might bring the seat home. Of course, one vote more is a win.

At Cross Keys, the Gleaner team had already used a half-tank of gas. I submit that this motorcade was ill-conceived or ill-executed, unless the prime minister wanted a first-hand view of how much land is available for farming.

Erica Virtue is a senior journalist at The Gleaner. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and erica.virtue@gleanerjm.com.