Holness calls for good conduct after latest Warmington incivility
Published:Wednesday | July 2, 2025 | 12:13 AMAdrian Frater/Gleaner Writer
Western Bureau:
Two days after St Catherine South Western Member of Parliament Everald Warmington fired off expletives on stage at a Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) event in Westmoreland, for which he has since apologised, Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness has called for all prospective candidates to ensure that their conduct reflects “the highest standards”.
In a letter sent to JLP standard bearers and other party representatives, Holness urged them to be good messengers in speaking to the “significant achievements” of the party and stay clear of issues that would cast the party in a bad light.
“ Candidates and others representing the Jamaica Labour Party platform have a duty to the people, the law, and more so of our nation, to conduct ourselves with regard for the highest standards,” Holness wrote. “ We are not in a race with the opponent to the gutter. We are forming a pact with the Jamaican people to lift everyone to the highest levels of achievement and fulfilment.
“ Conduct and statements which suggest or promote discrimination, violence, racism, misogyny, bigotry, objectification, or any form of vulgarity must not be a part of our platform. Such conduct is not who we are or aspire to be as a people and a political organisation,” he added.
Following Warmington’s use of the expletive, in urging Labourites in Westmoreland Central to ditch whatever ill-feelings they had against the party’s candidate, incumbent member of parliament George Wright, and telling them “Don’t stay home. Put the X beside the [expletive] bell”, People’s National Party (PNP) General Secretary Dr Dayton Campbell said he was anxious to see what action Holness would take to discipline Warmington.
“I want to know what sort of disciplinary action the prime minister, who said he’s asking for decency, will take against Everald Warmington,” Campbell said while calling on the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) to treat Warmington’s indiscretion in much the same way as they treated dancehall artistes who are usually charged when they use expletives on stage.
In his uncharacteristic apology on Monday, Warmington admitted that his behaviour was inappropriate.