‘Nothing to see here’: Atherley on Toppin’s ‘no-drama’ departure

The Leader of the Opposition has gone to bat for his former ministerial colleague, Ronald Toppin, for the decision to not stand for re-election in St Michael North, insisting there is nothing fishy or sinister about such a move.

But he hinted that more parliamentarians are likely to call it quits before the next general election.

Bishop Atherley told Barbados TODAY that Toppin’s service to both the Labour Party and his constituents during his over 30-year political career has earned him the right to call it quits.

At a special branch meeting held Wednesday night at the Grazettes Primary School, Toppin, the current Minister of International Business, who won six consecutive general elections, revealed he would not be seeking re-election.

Toppin then threw his support behind the St Michael North branch president Davidson Ishmael to stand for Parliament when elections, due in 2023, are called.

Bishop Atherley said he believed the time had come for Toppin to bow out after years of exemplary service.

He said: “I don’t think Ronald Toppin has been pushed. He is not the kind of man that would allow himself to be pushed. I think for some time he was contemplating that this would be his last outing and he would give way to someone who has supported him for a long time.

“So while I don’t believe he was pushed I think what you are continuing to see in the ranks of the BLP is some shaking of the tree to get into position perhaps people who are more favoured to the eye of the leader of the party. I think that that is happening and perhaps it particularly happened in St Philip West.

“I expect one or two others as well but it’s not for me to speculate on that with any specificity.”

On Toppin’s political career, the Opposition Leader said politics would be “left poorer” by his departure.

He credited Toppin, a cabinet minister in every BLP administration since 1994, for the transformation of the telecommunications industry.

“I know Ronald Toppin pretty well and I want to commend him on the long years of service that he rendered to the people of St Michael North and in the wider context the people of Barbados,” Bishop Atherley said. “I think the constituents of St Michael North have found him to be faithful over these long years and I know he is reputed among his party colleagues and I certainly feel that way as well. He is a genuine person and one of those people in politics that would come along rarely and what you see is what you get.

randybennett@barbadostoday.bb