Haughton’s umbilical connection to St James West Central
Published:Tuesday | August 26, 2025 | 12:08 AMJanet Silvera/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
After losing to Marlene Malahoo Forte in 2020, Dr Andre Haughton did not fade from the political spotlight. Instead, the economist-turned-politician has spent the past five years building bridges, fixing roads, mentoring youth, and preparing himself for another shot at representing St James West Central, a constituency he calls his “umbilical connection”.
Haughton describes St James West Central as a microcosm of Jamaica itself.
“It has from the poorest of the poor to the wealthiest of the wealthy,” he said.
The constituency’s challenges are many: young people idle and vulnerable to crime, communities lacking paved roads and running water, and households without legal electricity connections.
Pressed to identify the most urgent issues, Haughton pointed to roads, water, land titles, and opportunities for youth.
“Crime is also an issue,” he added. “Even with the reduction, people still consider safety to be an important factor when making their decisions.”
For Haughton, politics is personal.
“I was born here. I have a maternal connection. My umbilical cord is tied to this constituency,” he said.
Serving St James West Central, he argued, is not about ambition, but about giving back to the community that shaped him.
That connection began early. At 13, he was already vice-president of the Mount Salem Sports Club, a position that required him to sign documents on behalf of his peers.
“Growing up, I’ve always been a leader,” he reflected. “That incubation has expanded from Mount Salem to Jamaica, the wider Caribbean, and now the global community.”
Critics often argue that only those in office can deliver real results. Haughton disagrees.
“Being active without government resources is far better than being in office,” he said. “If you can improve lives with your own personal resources, imagine what you’ll be able to do when you have government resources at your disposal.”
Over the past five years, Haughton has launched a raft of initiatives, including the SAFE Programme (Sports, Arts, Financial Literacy, and Economics) and the Montego Bay Futsal Championships – a series of tournaments that not only entertain but foster unity in communities like Granville, Mount Salem and Retirement, while drawing families together and steering youth away from crime.
Other major projects include Paying for Peace & Talent Shows – community events that gave young people platforms to showcase their skills and channel their energy positively; financial literacy programmes, examples: workshops with BPO firms such as VistaPrint, hardware companies, and educational institutions such as the Montego Bay Community College.
Haughton told The Gleaner that with the assistance of councillors, he has also embarked on infrastructural work on small but symbolic projects repairing bridges in Crawford Street, fixing roads in Tucker and Pitfour, and contributing to running water projects in the Gutters community.
Haughton admits he needed to stay active in St James West Central in order to learn the “politics within politics”.
EDUCATION, NOT SETBACK
He sees his 2020 loss not as a setback but as education.
“Even though I lost at the polls, I won the hearts of many people,” he said. “Every adversity is an opportunity for greatness.”
He often contrasts his approach with what he sees as a past culture of “politics over leadership”. Quoting figures like Michael Manley, Francis Tulloch, and Patrick Rosegreen, he laments that many politicians have focused on positions rather than service.
“I intend to be different,” he asserted.
If elected, Haughton outlined five major priorities: youth empowerment and SME support, which include incubators, financing, training, and trade skills for small businesses; affordable housing by expanding access to secure, liveable homes; education & skills training, namely, robust programmes to boost residents’ earning potential.
Infrastructure and land tenure are among the top five, with Haughton focusing attention on roads, water, electricity, and formalising land ownership. He completes his top five with efforts to attract investment and create high-paying jobs.
He envisions a thriving constituency positioned as one capable of engaging young people in activities that deter crime and criminal activities, by bringing families and rival factions together.
Haughton said his SAFE programme has been used to lower tensions in Mount Salem and Granville. Events like his very popular Futsal competitions and peace concerts brought families together and reduced violence.
“Since we’ve been here, crime in Granville has dropped significantly,” he said.
Through his Valley Foundation, Haughton has also run mentorship programmes since 2011, producing graduates who have returned as positive role models.
“I am a leader who has dedicated my upbringing, training, and education to serving this constituency,” he sai.
Haughton said his political inspiration came unexpectedly, as a boy serving detention in his school library, where he discovered Michael Manley’s Politics of Change.
“That book inspired my approach to academics and leadership. It drives my soul to this day,” he recalled.
Unlike candidates who surface only at election time, Haughton insists he will remain visible and reachable. He already operates two constituency offices, with plans for a third, and says he passes through communities “at least twice per month”.
NO ROAD, NO VOTE
Haughton is eyeing the Spring Garden Division for the People’s National Party. Yet in Moy Hall and Tower Hill, where the roads have been torn up for pipe laying, many residents say they prefer to stay home instead of voting in September. The area is touted as a Jamaica Labour Party stronghold, but has been won by the PNP’s Francis Tulloch in the past.
“If the road is not fixed they will be paying the political consequences. Both parties have failed us. We go out to vote for years and they have taken us for granted,” warned one resident, asking not to be identified.
They also claimed they have no interest in the $5,000 allegedly being offered for votes.
One man in the area said none of the men in his group would turn out on election day.
“PNP can’t help us if they win because it will take them a while to get their thing in order, and we are Labourites anyhow, but we’ll not vote for our party,” they swore. According to them, the people deserve better roads.
In Westgreen, although a number of roads have been fixed by the National Housing Trust, residents are complaining bitterly about poor workmanship.
“Our road was fixed a month ago (July) and it is already dug up all over. Whenever garbage trucks or heavy cars drive on them, they sink like sponge. When you walk on it, it feels like sponge. This is a waste of taxpayers’ money,” Alando Oliver Jones, a resident, told The Gleaner.
Several efforts by The Gleaner to interview Haughton’s opponent, Marlene Malahoo Forte, proved futile. Questions sent to her were also acknowledged, but no response was returned.
St James West Central (voting history)
. 2011: Sharon Ffolkes Abrahams (PNP) defeated Clive Mullings (JLP) 6,208 to 5,535.
. 2016: Marlene Malahoo Forte (JLP) defeated Sharon Ffolkes Abrahams (PNP) 6,635 to 5,374
. 2020: Marlene Malahoo Forte (JLP) defeated Dr Andre Haughton (PNP) 6,181 to 4,415