Portland man jumps ship to find ‘real prosperity’ with JLP
Published:Friday | September 5, 2025 | 12:10 AMGareth Davis Sr/Gleaner Writer
EAST PORTLAND:
Portland resident Percival ‘Cat’ Scott, who switched allegiance to the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) in 2020, says he has experienced real prosperity as a result of the Andrew Holness administration.
Cat, as he is called by his friends and associates, claims to have made the switch from the People’s National Party (PNP) after being shown kindness by renowned JLP political activist and businessman, Paul Young, who he said provided him with a little income from time to time, and also supported his jelly coconut business.
“At the time, back in 2019 and 2020, mi did a push handcart and a sell jelly. But everyday dis labourite man buy jelly from mi, even though him know say mi a PNP,” commented Scott.
“And him used to give me a extra $3,000 or $5,000 every week. Him always ask mi how PNP a treat mi and mi tell him say mi naah get nothing from dem. But, after a while, mi say to miself, dis man a give me things and PNP naah give me nothing, it better me give labourite mi vote den.”
Scott recounted that, after he decided to switch to the JLP, he was encouraged by others to sell his vote to one of the main political parties as, according to some of his friends, he could make big money from doing so.
“But mi never waan sell nothing. Mi did done a sell jelly already, so mi did just waan please di man ‘cause him always a help me out big time. So mi vote JLP inna 2020 and from di day mi switch mi vote, a pure good things a happen. Mi a 61 years old and mi a vote PNP ftom mi a 18 years old, but since mi switch mi own a power saw (Chain Saw), mi own a fishing boat, and mi a raise chicken and sell.
“Dis a real prosperity and, since mi jump ship, about 40 other people follow mi and a enjoy the real prosperity. Ann-Marie Vaz a di real deal and nuff respect to her. She make mi have things and mi glad say mi did switch. Mi make sure mi go vote early Wednesday and mi know she a go win,” he concluded before Vaz lost the Portland Eastern seat to Isat Buchanan of the PNP on election day.