#BTColumn – Gline Clarke’s exit is good news

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by this author are their own and do not represent the official position of the Barbados Today Inc.

The announcement on Sunday evening that the MP for St. George North will be demitting Parliament is good news, really good news for constituents of St. George North.

It means that constituents will have the opportunity to free themselves from the illusion of representation that has been the hallmark of the lost decade and more, a period that constitutes almost half of his time in Parliament. One is hard pressed to deny that St George North has been adrift from as early as February 2008.

Residents of The Glebe are still unable to use their homes as collateral to borrow money to pay for their children’s advanced education because they do not have title deeds.

Residents of Airy Hill still have to walk to Charles Rowe Bridge, sometimes through neighbours’ properties, to catch a bus or PSV to go about their business.

The heavily used road in Thorpe’s Cottage remains the same nightmare that it has been for decades. Thrice weekly water outages in Jericho, Paradise, Retreat, Roach Village, and Sweet Vale are perennial.

The safety of children in Lower Estate has been at risk for decades because there are no speed humps. Traffic in Charles Rowe Bridge, The Glebe, Lower Estate and Walkers continue to be near-chaotic.

The above problems are neither inconsequential nor insurmountable. These are matters that affect people’s daily lives.

These are issues that must attract the interest of a MP or a potential MP. I have already started to tackle these problems and have met with success.

To get things done while one is outside of Parliament is a telltale sign of a prospective MP of consequence.

Ambrose Grosvenor of the United Progressive Party