Connolly could not count on PPM
Winston Connolly, George Town MLA
(CNS): George Town backbench MLA Winston Connolly has said that he could not depend on the members of the PPM to support his private member’s motions. The novice politician said he believed that remaining on the government benches for the rest of this administration would prevent him from brining motions dealing with the issues he had campaigned on. Acknowledging that private members’ motions are often regarded as moral victories rather than real ones, he said he felt he could pressure government and agitate for the important issues from the opposition rather than government benches.
Speaking at a poorly attended public meeting in George Town Monday evening, Connolly said there was no conspiracy to bring the government down in his decision to cross the floor but he had experienced difficulties working with the Progressives and getting support. He added that he was getting fed up with the government’s reluctance to accept any ideas that came from outside the party.
“If someone has good idea, it should be accepted or taken on board and improved upon,” he said, as he berated the concept of party loyalty and the ‘them and us’ approach to politics he claimed the government was following.
“I wasn’t convinced that I had definitive support and didn’t think I could count on people supporting my ideas and motions and felt at the mercy of the Progressives to keep my promises to my constituents made when I was elected,” Connolly said. Moving across the floor of the House would give him the latitude to raise the issues he had promised he would, he added, claiming that if he had remained on the government benches he was vulnerable and would not get anything on the floor that did not fit the party agenda.
While there are no parliamentary rules that prevent a member of the government backbench seeking support from an opposition member for a motion, he felt that would have ostracised him and caused him more difficulties with the government and the party.
Confirming his support for Employment Minister Tara Rivers, who was one of the 18 attendees at the meeting, Connolly said he would be backing everything she was going to bring and would support government initiatives that he felt were in the best interests of the Cayman people.
“By moving I have flexibility,” the MLA added.
Despite the risk of now having all of his motions rejected, Connolly said the tighter numbers would mean that government must act in consensus with the opposition. “We are running out of time and so we should shed the party colours and come together,” he said, anticipating the support government will now need from across the floor to pass important legislation.
Connolly said the LA needed independent voices to stand up for ordinary Caymanians and not for politicians. “I don’t want to be a minister or the premier, I just want to make a difference,” he claimed, suggesting he would not serve for more than two terms if he was to be re-elected.
The meeting took place at the Mary Miller Hall and most of the people there were members of the media and the political community. As well as Rivers, his new independent colleague, Alva Suckoo, was in attendance, as well as Arden McLean, the independent member for East End who jumped the PPM ship before the 2013 general elections and has revealed his plans to lead a third way in the 2017 ballot. Several of Connolly’s former C4C colleagues were also at the meeting.
Category: Politics
According to our comments every old politicians has lost the coming election, so I think that if they want to get re-elected they better CHANGE their political agendas , and represent the one’s that gives them the vote / job .
I do believe it was the other way around, the PPM definitely could not rely on Connolly, he was an obstructionist, and a politician in the truest & worst manner.
That is very intelligent Winston. Move on if you cannot get things done for yur people
I dont like the party politics because if you dont thow the line you may feel yourself ” ostresized” and a trouble maker
Thanks for moving with your conscience
Why do we need politicians? Can anyone tell me?
Misread the headline. Thought it said “Connolly could not count”. Perfect future premier.
when the going gets tough…winston gets out….
getting elected as an mla is like a lottery win for life…..it is nothing to do with achieving anything…..
hardly surprising from an administration that even after three years cannot manage to change a few speed signs on wb road………
On every article you manage to get a comment in about not changing signs on the WB road…if you seriously think that is a sign of good or bad government, you really need to get out more.
And if you think 3yrs+ is an acceptable amount of time for our Government to complete the simplest of tasks at hand, then please do not vote anymore, because we need a Government that will tackle even the easiest of tasks in an acceptable time frame, which this is not.
Look at it this way, if its taken them this long and nothing has been done, how long do you think it will take for the big projects or matters at hand to be completed? We will all be dead in our graves is the answer you are looking for.
another classic ‘progressive’ moment for cayman…..zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
What I am often surprised about is that he of someone who is educated and have been an establish lawyer is surprised that he was expected to tot the party line. He is further surprise his motions were not supported. I find his comments naive and lacks any sincerely.
Winston knew for the past 3 years the premier and his colleagues had no desire to address our peoples social issues. He ran and was elected as independent yet join a government that did not share his values and
Idiology. Somehow is shocked he never had their support.
My fellow caymanians, they say that this government is perhaps the most educated in the country’s history however, please read through the bull that Winston has stated. Our elected leaders are not smart people at all. They simply have learned the art of spewing garbage any making sound good.
As the voting public we have an opportunity in one year to reject all of them including those that hide behind the opposition and independent titles. Send the message in the next election that as a people we no longer will tolerate Thier lies and garbage.
He thinks everyone is simple. He cannot even convince himself. A man with no direction.
I raised the question recently, who really is the independent members of the LA. after close following their moves after the last election, my opinion was that they were all extension chords plugged into the Government Bench. Never trusted them for the moves and wishy washy licky licky things they did.
Winston I hope you have not made your decision too late. This is election year, next year we vote.
Methinks the charming politician is setting the platform of excuses for him and his running partner, Ms Tiara-Tara…… I will drink a shot overtime she says her hands were tied, she couldn’t do anymore etc etc so I will be quite drunk next May I believe.
Really sad that these two young educated professionals see it best to serve their campaign contributors as they clearly didn;t make any effort to address employment and education issues. They both should have resigned after first year and worked as opposition.
At least we know they didn’t object to getting the extra pay and glorified positions so their talk (based on Tara’s loyalty to stay with him) is all about politics.
Winston, this release confirms you are a politician.
Its an attempt to save grace to be re-elected by your constituents, realizing that your first press release was not clearly thought-out but you simply reacted in haste. Why didn’t you do what you are doing now in the first place instead of going round and round and round? You were not being truthful initially. You are playing the politics game really nicely. You may now exhale.
Ok, Winston. I’ll bite. I’m going to still support you. Do good and be patient, the rewards will come.
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts” . – Winston Churchill
Ok all I need now is Al or Winston to run in prospect and they’ll get my vote.
He sounds exactly like a politician
He couldn’t count on the PPM??? Winston we voted you in as an Independent. Why did you go to PPM….don’t worry I for one will never vote for you again if you ever decide to run again. We voted for you as an independent then you were offered probably “more money” and jumped ship…so much for wishy washy
@ 12:55pm 22/1 You just do not get it, do you.No one member can accomplish anything in the house; for a motion to pass or fail requires a majority of the votes. In other words Winston alone cannot cause a motion to pass or fail, he will have to be part of a group who supports or opposes a motion, to be successful.Being an independent MLA does not mean that one can accomplish anything independently.In fact a lone member cannot even get a motion moved in the house ,he needs the support of at least one member.Now imagine trying to form a cabinet with seven independent members all with their own agendas.
Ok Winston take ya foot out of ya mouth bro.
This man claims he’s is not a politician, this sounds like he’s trying to put a different kind of spin on politic ,and trying to fool the public to get re-elected. Good luck with that.
“There are none so deaf as those that will not hear. None so blind as those that will not see.”
“There are none so tedious as those who constantly repeat the same phrase on every article concerning politicians”
“Who the cap fits let them wear it” – Bob Marley
All of you need to go! PPM, UDP, CDP, C4C, and any other stupid acronym ya’ll can come up with just to sound fancy. All talk and no action from these “so called” leaders.
Problems we are ALL plagued with:
1. The stinking dump killing us slowly but surely;
2. Gas prices, WAY too high and quality of gas is poor;
3. Groceries, cost WAY too much, no wonder people are starving;
4. CUC, killing us with cost while they are constantly turning power on and off at all hours of the day;
5. Poor public transport system, not an option to get around;
6. CRIME – ever increasing and our leaders turn a blind eye constantly;
7. Lastly, the sociological and economical effects of a poor public education system; simply producing too many illiterate young people with no future; ties into point 6.
Please feel free to add to my list; there are many more I am sure.
God bless.
Spot on
And a Civil Service going to hell in a basket under its leader. Lord have mercy on us as a nation. There are so many great minds that could have led the Civil Service like Joel Walton. He could run circles around all of them. A very brilliant mind from the Brac as usual.
Must be Cayman’s problem overall, since Walton also went to school and graduated with others in his class who were brilliant and had to work under lackluster leadership.There were others in his class who were not so brilliant and ended up now leading Cayman.
I live in BT and catch the bus to West Bay Rd. It is effecient for $4. You do not know what you are talking about. Take A ride before you complian. What else you can get for $4 in the CAYMAN ISLANDS for that price?
My boy went from backing the PPM to becoming an Independent Real Quick. Oh Lawd.
Boy it seems Eden, Suckoo and Connolly really getting things done without lifting a finger. DST pull back, unemployment finally getting attention, Unemployment Task Force created, New Labour Law coming, Fuel prices being questioned, Legal Practitioner Law under review……..hmmmm!!!
I think Winston is right, these guys need opposition who will hold them to their word.
@ Picture this,the problem for you is that you grew accustomed to UDP’s way of doing things ,you know progress without process. In other words ‘shoot first and ask questions later.Now that you have a government that will think things through , you are unable to process it. I am glad PPM is prepared to think things through and then act even if it means getting negative posts from people like you e.g Daylight Savings Time By the way did you notice that they will listen and be guided by the wishes of the people .Nice ,real nice.
Man shut your beak up, DST was not passed simply because Alden is under pressure and is not sitting well with most Caymanians, his approval ratings is below sea level at this time and he also waited untill the last minute to look after the cries of the poorer class people, too late I say……… Say what you want about the UDP and yes they were terrible at times too but at least when it comes to looking out for poor people they are years ahead of the PPM.
And 18 is about the number of votes he will get in the next election. Karma Winston Karma. God don’t smile on ugly.
Where did you get that from, God really does smile on everyone!!
Oh yeah, he is good on stealing people’s idea, after he critize it to death, then he change a few words and pretend it came from his head. He is a piece of work for sure.
Winston should have known that unless an idea emanates from Lord Alden, PPM will never endorse or support it!
“Lord Alden”……. Lmao, I love that one.
I think Winston gave Alden and the PPM the benefit of the doubt. I am left with the impression that there is an agenda of grave concern to the Caymanian people to come before the legislature and we will need a strong opposition to make sure it is properly scrutinised.
Will Tara follow suit or Juliana ? Who remember how she told the Caymanian people that Alden wants to take the bible out of the schools? But was so quick to jump on the ppm band wagon . Two timing I would call her if she don’t make the right move now and jump from the ungodly PPM party.
I agree..