I wanted to write about my ex-hero this week. I have never met her but I admired the progress she was making on the world stage. I was flabbergasted by the news of her being assaulted, and wanted desperately to “get my hands on that little boy”.
It was the first time in my life I envied the job of judges. I wanted to wake up one morning soon and find myself as a Judge in the United States with that little brown boy in front of me. I have been tossing around in my head the nature of sentence that I would hand down in the event that the evidence corroborated the allegations.
From a marketing perspective, I also thought of what, as an advisor, I would suggest my ex-hero could do to restart her career. I fancied a major world tour, with fresh lyrics, a new beat but still the eye-popping attire. My goal would have been for her to surpass all previous records and snatch every available award at the Grammys next year. For me, she would have been the Tina of the future.
But, I have waited patiently for a stout denial of any reunification or marriage. If there was pregnancy, I guess that would have to be embraced and factored into future equations, for that would have been conceived before the dreadful day. But, with time passing and no denial, I am left to assume that what we have all heard is true and that there is a 14-year-old brain in that 20-year old head.
I am not quick to judge persons and therefore it is not for me to determine right or wrong. What I would say, however, is that it is my right to add and remove names from my list of heroes and as of last weekend, I am short of one name.
But talking about heroes, my hero of last Friday’s no-confidence debate was none other than Mia Mottley. Yes, I know some persons would be surprised by that selection, but I believe that she is the only one of 29 MPs in attendance that came away from that experience with more, much more, than they had bargained for.
Several speakers landed a political punch here and there and others impressed with their eloquence, enormous vocabulary and manifestation of excellent research skills.
Mia Mottley, I must concede, came away with much more. Should would have hoped to maim her opposite number, the Prime Minister, and possibly to highlight the failings of his predecessor. But, never, never in her wildest dreams could the Leader of the Opposition have expected to emerge from that debate with that scalp of Owen Arthur’s political head. She owes Chris Sinckler big time!
It was the little man from Deacons Farm who smoked Owen Arthur out, to the point where, I believe, he lost his temper and blurted out, what I predict will one day be deemed as the fatal blow to the Labour party’s chance of re-election anytime soon.
Taunted by Sinckler about his agenda and motivation, and also reeling from David Thompson’s declaration the Sunday before of his negligence in permitting defaults in the Statutory Fund to climb, Arthur sprung to his feet and blurted out, without thinking I believe, that not only is he not desirous of leading the BLP or the country again, but also that he is supporting Mia Mottley 100 per cent.
Admittedly, this was the shocker. This was the proverbial fly in the ointment. After weeks and weeks of warming up in the nets; after 14 months of visibly, tangibly and measurably giving Mottley less support that one would have anticipated; after declaring outside Tyrol Cot that he is “back”; after investing in two lunches for former labour party candidates at Savannah Hotel; and after mobilizing and galvanizing the base of the labour party behind him, Arthur ate the bait that Sinckler planted and put paid to the rescue mission that thousands of labour party supporters were hoping he would have mounted.
So stunned were they by this development that scores rushed to Deighton Griffith last Sunday to confront their hero on what they described as “his folly”. But, alas, Arthur was a no-show. The reason given was that he had a sinus attack. Chris Gayle limped to the crease on Monday with a groin injury, but Owen Arthur could not go to Deighton Griffith last Sunday because his sinuses were dripping. Give me an aspirin!! Analysts believe it was more because he may have discovered the folly of his Friday morning temper tantrum.
Just when labour party supporters thought they would have made the necessary leadership change and switch back to Arthur, he, according to Lickmout Lou, “ups and does stupidness”.
What therefore was all the fuss about? Why didn’t he give Mottley the guidance and advice she needed over the past 14 months? Why hasn’t he been attending Parliament and participating regularly in debates?
If, after serving 14 years as party leader and Prime Minister, he no longer has the drive and passion for politics, why doesn’t he simply step down as MP and permit Mottley to recruit some new and fresh talent into the party. The odds are that with a good candidate, the Labour Party would win a by-election in St. Peter right now.
Why doesn’t Arthur truly put Mottley’s mind at ease by resigning from what he termed a “poor rakey” parliament and permit fresh talent to come to the fore. Anyone listening to the Opposition benches last Friday would agree the side could do with a new frontline batsman.
The two failed meetings at Tyrol Cott and Oistins suggest the party could do with new platform talent. The tired, discredited losers that were brought back for that series of meetings did nothing to enhance the image or appeal of the party.
Mottley, as undisputed leader, for the time being, would do well to ask for and to stagger the resignations of persons like Arthur, Cynthia Forde, George Payne, Rawle Eastmond, Gline Clarke, William Duguid, Ronald Toppin and Dale Marshall.
She would lose four seats in the process but would perhaps gain four fresh and appealing faces.
It is an option she would do well to consider.
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