Submitted by Mahogany Coconut Think Tank/Watch dog Group

Mahogany Coconut wishes soon to be retired Member of Parliament, Mr. Hamilton Lashley all the best. Lashley is by far, the most progressive Member of Parliament to have entered our Parliament since Independence. The only other truly progressive M.P was Dr. Don Blackman, who quietly slipped into political obscurity many moons ago.

Lashley came to Parliament with impressive credentials, as a community worker and with an outstanding track record via such grassroots organizations as the Pine lands Creative Workshop. In other words, even if he had never entered formal or electoral politics, he would have still been a giant of a fighter for the poor and underprivileged.

Lashley demonstrated that he had a far more superior grasp of the problems confronting our poor, than any other sitting member of our parliament. His work to alleviate poverty and lifting up the dispossessed will feature prominently in any true history of our island state

He avoided the so-called trappings of office; and was never into the political culture of getting rich and exploiting his standing as an MP for social and power climbing. He did not masquerade on the cocktail circuit at night while pretending to represent the masses by day. His nights and days were spent working on behalf of ALL suffering Barbadians and not only his beloved St. Michael South East. Comrade Lashley was and remains the real deal.

He also clearly demonstrated that the Barbados Labour Party and the Democratic Labour Party are identical twins and he willingly gave both parties distinguished service .He moved between them with great political ease. His philosophy being that he would position himself with either party once he believed it was leaning toward the upliftment of the masses at any particular time.

He clearly showed that once one is a visionary and free of opportunistic tendencies, it is possible to represent either the B.L.P. or D.L.P with the backing of those constituents who are genuinely represented. He remained accessible to all the poor at all times. He proved once more that nothing beats sincerity and genuine service to our people.

Mahogany Coconut therefore cannot support the position of those intellectual snobs, so-called commentators and political scientists, who suggest that politicians such as Lashley are no longer relevant.

We submit that if there are no more Lashley’s out there Barbados will be engulfed by political greed and corruption and will be totally paralysed by the growing band of intellectual opportunists who intend to rape our country and its resources.

We desperately need more Hamilton Lashleys.

Well done Comrade !