Underdog Allen ready to shake up St Andrew Southern

Unlike many candidates vying for victory in the September 3 election, Carlton Allen, the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) contender for St Andrew South, is taking a measured approach. Rather than aiming for an outright win, his goal is turn the constituency from a People’s National Party (PNP) stronghold into a more competitive, marginal seat.

“The St Andrew South constituency is underdeveloped and the people need proper representation,” said Allen, who will face off with PNP President Mark Golding at the polls.

The constituency, which consists of areas such as Admiral Town, Trench Town, Jones Town and Arnett Gardens, was created in 1967, when the number of seats in parliament moved from 45 to 53. It was first won by the JLP’s Eugene Parkinson, who prevailed by 648 votes over the PNP’s Vernon Arnett, after whom Arnett Gardens is named.

However, the constituency swung to the PNP in 1972 when Anthony Spaulding defeated Parkinson by just 102 votes. Known as the ‘Trench Town Rock,’ Spaulding transformed the seat into a PNP fortress. In fact, in the 1980 election, when the JLP won 51 of 60 seats in the House of Representatives, Spaulding still carried St Andrew South by 15,030 votes.

Hartley Jones, who replaced Spaulding, secured 17,375 votes in the 1993 election before resigning as MP and making way for Dr Omar Davies and later Golding.

Data from the Electoral Office of Jamaica show that the PNP experienced a sharp decline in the early 2000s, dropping to 8,314 votes by 2007, before a modest rebound in 2011 (9,810) and gradual decreases in 2016 (9,431) and 2020 (7,882).

In contrast, the Jamaica Labour Party maintained relatively low support, peaking at 5,493 votes in 1993 before collapsing to 860 votes in 2011, and gradually increasing to just over 1,000 votes in subsequent elections.

Its candidate, Victor Hyde, got 1,094 votes in 2020.

Allen, however, is undeterred. He sees no reason to back away from a challenge against the PNP heavyweight, Golding. In fact, he is confident that voters will send a resounding message to the PNP that the time has come for a new direction.

“The numbers will definitely increase and that will send a clear signal that the people need a change,” Allen told The Gleaner.

This is not his first foray into what looks like an impossible fight. He unsuccessfully contested the 2024 Parish Council Elections in the Admiral Town Division, where he polled just 296 votes to the PNP’s Louise Newland, who received 4,000. But he is not daunted.

“I’ve been on the ground and despite the limitations, I have tried my best to help the people in any way I can,” he said.

“I’m feeling good working with the Jamaica Labour Party. It is always good working with the people,” he added.

Karen Madden