Hon. Jamale Pringle, Leader of the Opposition
Jamale Pringle, Political Leader of the United Progressive Party (UPP), has firmly rejected recent reports suggesting he plans to step down, calling the claims false and politically motivated.
In a statement released to supporters and the wider public, Pringle stressed: “I remain your Political Leader. I remain committed to holding the Gaston Browne Administration Government accountable. And I remain committed to building this Party into an organization worthy of leading this Nation.”
Pringle accused the source of the rumors, which he said is connected to the Prime Minister of attempting to destabilize the opposition and distract from the party’s work. He emphasized that both he and senior party figure Harold Lovell remain focused on representing their constituencies and rallying supporters ahead of the imminent general election.
The party leader also addressed criticisms surrounding the recent St. Philip’s North by-election. He noted that the UPP’s participation, supporting candidate Alex Browne, was never intended to guarantee victory but to demonstrate support and signal the party’s commitment to voters seeking change. Highlighting that the UPP has never held the seat in its 50-year history, Pringle called attempts to use the by-election result to challenge leadership “misleading” and “disrespectful” to party members.
Pringle extended an invitation for open dialogue within the party, saying he welcomes genuine disagreement and discussion on strategy, direction, and renewal. He concluded by assuring the public that the UPP remains focused on building a credible and united opposition, ready to hold the governing Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party accountable.
“Therefore, the work of this party continues. And I continue with it,” he said, reaffirming his leadership and commitment to the party’s mission.
Everything for this man is “Politically Motivated”. We know from internal sources that the upp doesn’t want you as their leader! We know Harold wants back his spot at the head of the table! Let’s see what happens at the convention.
UPP is one hot mess. Pringle ain’t an ugly man but he sure needs to read the room
I could care less what people say! I have faith as small as a mustard seed for the UPP and I believe if we give them a chance, they can go better than the current administration. You never know until you try.
I wonder how them so called professional media entities feel now the man has officially responded to their nasty rumors. rumshop media. now for some real advice Pringle you should have resigned. you are a hot mess
Hmmmmm I’m happy to hear that you not resigning
Pringle and the party need to be honest with themselves. Since the 2023 elections, they have gone backwards. You can downplay the Alex Browne loss all you want, sir but you chose deliberately to give him and Jonathan Joseph a Senate seat to maintain visibility with the knowledge that Sir Robin and Sir Molwyn were the most likely MPs to retire or pass away in office. You had 3 years to prepare for a by-election when your candidate would be going into it with a 615-vote tally in 2023 and a 93 voting margin to make up. Your party lost 200 votes from 2023 result with Randy beating Alex by more than 500 votes.
Pringle can claim his door is open to disagreement and dissent but from how we saw your responses to the resignations of top party officials since the 2024 convention, why should people trust that their opinion will be actually listened to and considered. Every time someone dissents publicly and leaves the party, your party calls them ‘staged’ or ‘bought out’. You deflect, blame others and see it as a lack of loyalty. Your open door is an empty painted facade like a Wile E Coyote painting a tunnel on a cliff—convincing only if you see it from afar but designed to watch people not to let anyone in. We know dissent isn’t welcome because we have seen and heard from those that have.
On the leadership issue, honestly whether it is Pringle or Lovell, I don’t think it matters anymore. The UPP’s problem is not just the person at the podium but the people who stands behind them. The party has hemorrhaged strategists, alienated its own sitting MPs, driven out its youth leadership, and failed to grow its vote share in three years of opposition.
You cannot claim to be People First and care only about yourselves, Leadership Matters and scream Loyalty over Royalty. The UPP needs to look at the DLP in Barbados and ask itself: does it want to stay in a perpetual cycle of crisis management or expect to be rescued by a change of face at the top or does it want to be considered an alternative voice in government and have a leader that everyone can see as a future Prime Minister?
The reality is: people do not, have not and perhaps will not trust you, sir to be an effective leader. And unless, you and your party get your act together soon, the next general election might end up with the voters making it louder than your supporters think.
Too much internal confusion in UPP. That’s why ABLP looking stronger every day.
Pringle had to come out strong because these rumours spreading too fast. Politics in Antigua real messy now.