Robertson declares himself most transformational MP
... challenges other former 62 reps, including PM Holness, to match record
Published:Sunday | August 24, 2025 | 2:52 PM
Veteran parliamentarian James Robertson, who has represented St Thomas Western since 2002, is confidently seeking a sixth term, declaring that his legacy of infrastructure and education development is unmatched.
“My legacy is already delivered,” he told The Sunday Gleaner last week. “Show me one member of parliament in the last decade who has delivered more legacy than I have. I challenge you.”
Elaborating on what he considers to be his legacy, Robertson, who has been MP since 2002 in what was once known as “the forgotten parish”, said, “The infrastructure, I have built out, the dream. I’ve been the MP while [the Morant Bay Urban Centre] has been built with two [tertiary-level institutions] and thousands of jobs. What more legacy could you want? Let’s be real.
“So, if it’s education and infrastructure to defend it, we have delivered legacy. If it’s roads, we have delivered legacy. If it is sustainable water systems, we have delivered,” he added.
He dismissed critics who say the constituency needs change, arguing: “The people of St Thomas have gotten diamonds … . No MP in Jamaica in the last 10 years has delivered for his constituency and people as I have.”
In Jamaica’s 2020 general election, Robertson secured 8,299 votes to beat the People’s National Party (PNP) challenger Marsha Francis’ 5,603 – a commanding 2,876-vote margin, albeit with a modest voter turnout of approximately 36 per cent.
The first time he was victorious over her was in 2016, when he got 9,568 votes compared with her 9,154 votes, at a higher turnout of approximately 50 per cent.
In this election, Robertson will be facing off with the PNP’s Hubert Williams, sitting councillor for the Whitehorses Division and a former mayor of Morant Bay.
Robertson highlighted a multibillion-dollar infrastructure overhaul as the centrepiece of his legacy, including the Harbour View to Morant Bay leg of the South Coast Improvement Project, describing it as “the best stretch of road in Jamaica’s history”.
SEVEN BRIDGES
He noted seven bridges under construction or completed, including the long-awaited Mahogany Vale Bridge, which collapsed over a decade ago and is now being rebuilt under the UK-Jamaica Bridge Programme. He listed the others as Easington, Swamp, Negro River, White River, and two in Ramble.
“I am so proud of my administration and my reputation to have accomplished that,” he said, while boasting that no other parish in Jamaica has ever had seven bridges slated under funding for construction at once.
In water access, Robertson said St Thomas Western has seen Jamaica’s largest rural investment, featuring 12 gravity-fed catchment systems, underground pipelines, and new wells.
“It’s just electricity and piping work left,” he said, estimating a final $15 million needed to complete connections in areas like York and Seaforth.
However, he acknowledged that the main challenge with water access is connecting every district and home to the new pipelines.
He also highlighted progress in housing and education, including the Prime Minister’s announcement of 8,000 approved housing units and the Morant Bay Urban Centre, expected to generate 4,000 jobs by 2026 and include tertiary institutions – the University of the Commonwealth Caribbean and HEART/NSTA Trust.
“We’ve delivered the dream of Paul Bogle, not one, but two institutions giving tertiary-quality certificates accepted around the world.”
FARMING BOOST
On farming, Robertson pointed to gains in coffee, onions, carrots, and Irish potatoes.
“The success of the onion industry in St Thomas is phenomenal. St Thomas is now the leading pound-for-pound region, Yallahs. I’ve played more than my role in that,” he said. However, he acknowledged that livestock support and infrastructure remain areas for improvement.
Robertson said his $20 million annual Constituency Development Fund is limited, with 25 per cent mandated for education.
“One medical student’s tuition is $5 million,” he noted, adding that he supplements programmes with 10 per cent of his own money.
If re-elected, his focus will be on “connecting the last mile” with road upgrades in Trinityville and Cedar Valley and addressing gaps for the elderly and uneducated.
He dismissed the PNP’s Williams as an unrealistic choice.
Williams did not make himself available for interview by The Sunday Gleaner, telling our reporter to call back each time contact was made over three days then not answering subsequent calls.
Confident of victory, Robertson cited polls and grassroots support.
“The young voters have made up their minds. If the children of Jamaica could show their preference, the PNP couldn’t win a single vote,” he quipped.
Closing, he praised Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness’ leadership and added, “I am the number one MP in transforming. I challenge any of the other 62 MPs, including him, to show me where they have done more ... .”