Weir says MPs are delivering in these uncertain times

A first-time Member of Parliament believes that many of his colleagues have received an unfair rap from pundits and the public for their performance in constituencies over the COVID-19 pandemic.

St Philip South MP and agriculture minister Indar Weir has however made it clear that he has no intention of backing away from the political arena, despite recent suggestions that the St Philip corridor is poised to switch hands at the next General Election.

“I am prepared to offer myself again to the people of St Philip South who I love dearly,” Weir told Barbados TODAY in an interview.

His comments follow a surprising announcement from St Philip West MP and culture minister John King, also a first-time representative and Minister of Health Lt. Col. Jeffrey Bostic, who represents The City, to throw in the towel at the end of the current term.

Since then, veteran pollster Peter Wickham and political science PhD candidate Devaron Bruce identified the three St Philip constituencies held by King, Weir and St Philip North backbencher Dr Sonia Browne as areas where voters might welcome a return to Democratic Labour Party (DLP) representation.

Weir, however, rejects this suggestion in his neck of the woods, contending that whilst canvassing and at meetings, constituents have expressed overwhelming satisfaction with his stewardship.

While his colleague ministers King and Bostic have been heavily criticised for their apparent absence in their respective constituencies, Weir argued that no MPs in the country’s history had faced the type of adversity to which the sitting MPs were subjected over the last 20 months.

In addition to the shutdowns of early to mid-2020 and early 2021, Weir said some MPs were further handicapped because of massive clusters in parts of their constituencies.

“It is one thing to talk, but if you had a Member of Parliament or minister coming down with COVID, that would have made for a very salacious story, and we had to be very careful because we are the Government,” said Weir.

“We have to run this country, and protecting oneself and being able to meet the needs of constituents, have to be managed very carefully.

“No other Government or MPs have had this challenge, so I think as a Government, we have done extremely well in managing this, holding this country together, bringing people along, and helping people when they are most vulnerable,” Weir added.

Prior to the pandemic, he said he was extremely active in the constituency, but between March and May last year, the focus of his representation shifted from socialising and rendering routine assistance to distributing over 200 food hampers weekly to people economically displaced by the pandemic.

“In response to people who have had challenges prior to any hurricane or storm or ashfall and were just living in poverty, not earning enough to repair the house, not earning enough to pay utilities etc., I have been able to help a lot of them as well,” said Weir.

“Between the periods where you had to break [for COVID-19 lockdowns], that gap that would have been created in there, obviously people are going to miss you, and when people are missing you, they will say they didn’t see you, but the records would show that I have been around. I have given out loads of hampers, we just completed a very successful back-to-school programme, we’re now preparing for Christmas where we do our annual Christmas hampers programme as well. I will continue canvassing and meeting and greeting people,” he pledged.
kareemsmith@barbadostoday.bb