King not seeking second term

PARLIAMENTARY representative for the constituency of St. Philip West, John King, has announced that he will not be contesting that seat during the next general elections whenever the bell is rung.

He made the announcement during a branch meeting on Sunday evening, which was held at the Gordon Walters Primary School. 

A first-timer into elective politics back in 2018, King amassed 4,323 votes on a Barbados Labour Party ticket, defeating the Democratic Labour Party’s Dr. David Estwick, his closest competitor who won 1,924 votes.

During the meeting, which was also attended by Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, King said the decision to run back then came on his own volition and was met with many persons saying it would be an impossible task. He described the last four years as “challenging” and also “illuminating”.

While addressing party faithful, King used the opportunity to urge all Barbadians not to mark lines in the sand as it relates to their party affiliation. “Yes, there are different political parties, we’ve got different religions, we’ve got different colours, we got different classes, we’ve got all of these differences, but it’s time for us to start to concentrate not so much on the differences, but on those things that we share in common. That common thing is, we are our brothers’ and sisters’ keeper.

“I do not want to hear another person from anywhere telling me any foolishness, like ‘Oh, that person is a DLP...’ I don’t want to hear. Don’t come to me with it, I’ve never been like that. I’m not that kind of person. If that’s what you want, that’s what you want, that’s on you, but it would not happen with me.”

He made the point that should Barbados be affected by a natural disaster, only helping persons from a particular party would not be feasible.

“So there is a time and place for everything. When it’s time for you to put your ‘X’ where you want it, in a democratic society, you put it wherever you want. That is entirely up to you. Cynthia Forde, Dwight Sutherland, Honourable Mia Amor Mottley, they can’t pick and choose who to give help.

“We have to get past this madness. So if somebody comes and knocks on your door looking to help you, don’t slam the door in their face. Because you never know when you will need that person.

“So for those people who think in those terms, I would beg you, even if I had to get [down] on my knees... I will do it. Because we need to move past these things. I understand politics well... but at the same time as a person who’s been in social work, it’s another thing to also understand people.”

He lamented that the country is on a slippery slope. “Because for some unknown reason, we are seeking to politicise every possible thing from a pandemic that is killing people before your very eyes to a Crop Over festival, to cricket coming in next year as a sport; you cannot politicise everything.”

Saying that he was unable to complete everything he set out to accomplish for the constituency, he gave constituents the assurance that he is still the duly-elected Member of Parliament and will continue to advocate on their behalf.

He said while the Prime Minister has been asking him, “Are you sure?”, about his move away from politics, he is very firm in his decision. “And I want to say here and now, I am sure. But I’m here for the people of St. Philip West regardless. I’ve always been there for the people of Barbados, regardless of what position that I find myself in, but I think going forward St. Philip West needs somebody different, it needs something different.”

King, who is the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office with responsibility for Culture, recalled the debate on the Integrity in Public Life bill held last week and the fact that politicians are painted with the same brush whenever there is something negative.

“And if there’s one thing that I pride myself on being is that nobody, no person ever, in the history of myself, has ever accused me of being dishonest, or stealing money or looking to do things that are underhanded – not a boy. So my reputation, my integrity is more important to me than anything else. I’ve worked too hard for too long to put myself in good standing in this country.

“Just think about it. Some years ago, I got one of the Independence Awards for my contribution to the country. It wasn’t given to me because I steal, they didn’t give it to me because I’m a vagabond... it was given to me because of how I would live my life, how I interact with people, how we tried to set an example not only for myself and my children, and for anybody that I come into contact with, understands what it means to grow up against all the odds. Where everybody got basically the idea that you probably will amount to nothing.”

He stressed that he will continue to be a part of the Barbados Labour Party. “...To give the best that I can at all times to whatever it is that is required of me, be it here in Barbados or anywhere I go in the world,” he said. (JH)