Rowe declares loyalty to Holness, urges JLP leader to ‘give us the green light’
Published:Tuesday | July 1, 2025 | 12:06 AM
Former People’s National Party (PNP) campaign strategist and Central Kingston caretaker Lawrence Rowe has made his switch to the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) official by accusing his former party of betrayal, hypocrisy, and cowardice.
Speaking on a Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) platform in Westmoreland Central on Sunday, Rowe broke his silence on what he called a calculated and unjust ouster by the PNP hierarchy, despite his ‘record-breaking’ poll numbers.
“I am the only individual that they replace as a candidate, and they have to formally write to me and tell me why, and they begged me to stay the course with them,” said Rowe, who says he has now thrown his full support behind Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness and the JLP.
Rowe, who once headed the PNP’s national campaign data operations, made it clear that he believes he was pushed aside, not for underperformance, but for being too effective and too independent.
“My bloodline is from the Accompong Town Maroons, so for a long time I didn’t like slave masters,” he said to loud cheers at the JLP meeting. “I have served that movement for over two decades. I gave them my all, and no bwoy or nuh gyal over deh can say they were minding me.”
Rowe warned the PNP that his political response would come at the constituency level in Central Kingston.
“I have some liberty to take with him (PNP President Mark Golding), but I am going to do it in Central Kingston when we launch that campaign,” Rowe warned. “Because they took some liberty with me down there, and I am going to deal with them properly.”
According to Rowe, replacing him as the candidate in Kingston Central defies logic and data.
“When they conducted their polling across the island, I had the highest voter intention, nationally,” he claimed. “No Mark Golding, no Dayton Campbell, no Damion Crawford. Not even Lisa Hanna when they polled her in Eastern St Andrew, so how can you discard something of value?”
Challenging the narrative that the PNP is gaining ground, Rowe pointed to an internal analysis he said paints a different picture.
“As good as they performed in the 2024 local government elections, had it been a general election, the seat count would be 32–31 in favour of Andrew Michael Holness,” he said.
And in perhaps his sharpest jab yet at the current PNP leadership, he declared that Golding’s numbers are going in the wrong direction.
“Mark Golding’s numbers plummeted. We know the third term is not loading – it has loaded, and we are ready for the green light,” said the newly minted Labourite.
Rowe said he was comfortable in his new political home, and that he admired what he considered Holness’ strong leadership and economic stewardship.
“Unemployment is low, poverty is low, and debt to GDP is on the right path,” said Rowe, in endorsing the record of the Holness administration.
Rowe sought to evoke memories of former Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller in explaining his transition to the JLP.
“I have journeyed across Jamaica when Portia was prime minister ... and now as Portia pickney, Andrew is my brother. And just as I trusted her, I have to trust my brother to continue her legacy,” said Rowe. “I am saying to my brother, Bro Gad, give us the green light.”