UPP leader defends St Philip’s North loss as “building presence

Political Leader of the United Progressive Party Jamale Pringle continued to defend his party’s defeat in the March 16 St Philip’s North by-election as a deliberate exercise in constituency building, rejecting suggestions the result should be used to question his leadership.

Speaking on his Straight Talk radio programme, Pringle said the UPP entered the contest without expectations of victory.

“We entered it as a testimony to our faith in Brother Alex Browne, to measure our support in challenging terrain, and to demonstrate to the people of St Philip’s North that the United Progressive Party is serious about earning their confidence,” he said.

Pringle argued the loss should not be characterised as a setback.

“That is not defeat. That is disciplined, patient work of a party serious about governing this country,” he said, using the fact that the UPP has failed to unseat Sir Robin Yearwood for 50 years as proof of the difficulty of the opposition winning.

ABLP candidate Randy Baltimore won the by-election with 924 votes, representing 69.4 percent of ballots cast. UPP candidate Alex Browne received 407 votes, a margin of 517.

In the January 2023 general election, the ABLP won the same constituency by 93 votes, with Sir Robin Yearwood receiving 708 votes to the UPP’s 615.

On the reports that he had resigned or was being forced from the leadership, Pringle attributed the resignation reports to operatives working on behalf of Prime Minister Gaston Browne.

“We cannot allow the ALP narrative and persons who are operating on behalf of Gaston Browne to distract us from what it is we set out to do,” he said.

He also moved to quash reports of a rift with UPP founding member Harold Lovell, saying attempts to pit the two against each other would not succeed.

“Whosoever put that article out there in regards to try and diminish the character and credibility of brother Lovell, the people of UPP, you know better,” Pringle said. “I will not support it.”

Pringle outlined two policy proposals he said would be central to the UPP’s platform ahead of the general election, which Prime Minister Browne has indicated will be held within 90 days.

On the question of a general election, Pringle said the party had no choice but to be ready.

“Persons look at readiness as the amount of paraphernalia that you have in your possession and all of that, but readiness is you being able to contest an election because the paraphernalia is only a part of the fanfare but the main aspect is to get out the votes on election day,” he said.