The Rise and Fall of Portia Simpson 1

In 1992, Portia Simpson should have become President of the People’s National Party and Prime Minister of Jamaica. She was a vibrant woman in her mid forties, a successful Minister of Government, well beloved by the people. Her rival, P.J. Patterson, was not well liked and the subject of rumours.

When Michael Manley stepped down as PNP leader and Prime Minister in 1992 it was expected he would give his support to his protege, Portia.

He did not, leaving the issue to be decided by delegates to the Special Conference. Outsiders were surprised by Mr. Manley’s actions. During Portia’s administration of the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Sports, (1989 – 1992) there were no strikes, pensions rose by 100% and our sports men and women made us proud.

Outsiders expected Portia to win the Presidential election by a landslide over the uninspiring P.J. who had lost his cabinet post over a questioning of a waiver.

Although by law, he as Minister of Finance was the only person who could have granted the waiver to Shell to import non-leaded gasoline without paying the duty, the public’s response to the, “Shell Scandal” provoked his resignation. How and why P.J. Patterson won the 1992 in-house election is the first flag that something was “wrong” in the corridors of the PNP.

The relationship of Portia Simpson to her Party was clearly not the pretty one served to the public. The internal election was held behind closed and guarded doors. Those who could speak chose silence. This was the second flag that all was not as it seemed. That Portia had run for President of the PNP without insuring that she had the delegates or the support of the Party hierarchy, or the beloved Michael Manley, is only noticed in retrospect.

Outsiders, whether supporters of the PNP, or the Jamaica Labour Party or the neutral citizen, would, by all Polls, voted for Portia for Prime Minister and she would have won by a landslide in 1992.

Yet, her Party’s Inner Circle, those who knew her the best, insured her defeat by P.J. Patterson. In 2006, when P.J. Patterson stepped down, there were four candidates for the post of President of the PNP. Two candidates can be discarded as spoilers, the remaining two, Peter Phillips and Portia Simpson-Miller, (as she is now known).

The Inner Circle backed Peter, but there was strong support from the delegates for Portia, hence she became President of the Party, and Prime Minister of Jamaica. Her greatest enemies at this moment, were members of the Inner Circle of her own Party.