PLP Respond to “False & Misleading News”

November 18, 2010

The Progressive Labour Party has refuted reports that unnamed party sources had stated that former Police Commissioner Jonathan Smith has been tipped to replace Dale Butler, the present sitting MP, in Constituency 25, Warwick North East.

Mr Butler has been a PLP MP since the party swept to power in 1998. Seen as popular in a cross section of the community, Mr Butler’s recent leadership challenge showed his popularity appears not to be mirrored within the party, with the ex-educator getting only 2 votes.

Jonathan Smith, Bermuda’s Police Commissioner from 2000-2005, publically announced he was joining the PLP last year saying “I’m committed to a path of reform, modernisation, social justice and expansion of the economic opportunities for all Bermudians laid out by the Progressive Labour Party.”

The PLP issued a statement this afternoon [Nov 18] saying “There has been a deliberately false and misleading news report circulating on VSB News regarding the PLP’s candidate selection for Warwick North East, Constituency 25.The Hon. Dale Butler, JP, MP has represented this seat in Parliament since 2003 and has been a PLP MP since 1998. News reports circulating that he has been proposed to be replaced by Mr. Jonathan Smith are totally false and can only serve to be mischievous and troublemaking.”

They continued on to say that “We can only presume the intent of this story was an attempt to encourage internal discord with the Party. We ask that the media refrain from creative storytelling, and focus on the issues of the day.”

When contacted this afternoon, Mr Butler said “I am glad to see the official response from my party. The story came out of no where and I was never contacted.”

Read More About

Category: All, News, Politics

Comments (19)

Trackback URL | Comments RSS Feed

Articles that link to this one:

  1. Correction « bermudashorts | November 18, 2010
  1. terry says:

    He can still post on the local blogs…..right?

  2. Aceb says:

    I Heard Dale Butler and others maybe joining BDA?
    hmm now you got both legacy parties jumping ship..or is this all rumour as well..?

  3. Limerick says:

    “Seen as popular in a cross section of the community”

    except the PLP delegates…..

  4. Truth is killin' me says:

    Look how many votes he got when he ran for premiere…but they stick by him when a white boy enters the picture!? Interesting.

  5. Tired of nonsense says:

    It wouldn’t be a far fetched idea that this would happen to Mr. Butler.

    Even Mr. Alvin Williams, in his Sun column last week, stated that since the delegates conference that Mr. Butler has been strongly encouraged to leave the PLP and move onto another political party. So it wouldn’t surprise me one bit if they tried to run him out of his constituency.

    Mr. Butler should have known he was committing “PLP political suicide” when he invoked the names of white politicians during his speech at the conference. Now it appears you he is being lynched for spewing such “blasphemy” during a PLP event. A lesson learned for all…

  6. Jonathan Smith says:

    It’s absolutely correct that a Branch and a Party should stand by a candidate who received the highest number of votes of ANY candidate in 1998 and in the years since has worked for the constituency and on the people’s business – all reflected in two election victories for him in Constituency 25 since. The first time I’d heard my name associated with C 25 was last night on the VSB News. Dale knew nothing about it and neither did I! I contacted Dale Butler immediately to tell him just that. If VSB News had bothered to contact me I would have told them there was absolutely zero substance to their ‘story.’

    • Tired of nonsense says:

      Thanks for clearing that up Mr. Smith.

      Being an insider can I ask as to why Mr. Williams stated that Mr. Butler is actively being encouraged to leave the PLP? What has he done to be subject to such hatred from within his own political party? Especially since he has received the highest vote tally as you mentioned above?

      Is Mr. Williams lying or is it only a minority that seek to oust him within the PLP?

      • Fed up says:

        It’s because his ideas are not in keeping with the current philosophy of the PLP. When you start talking about ending the race-baiting, going across the floor to include opposition MPs in the cabinet, you’re going against the status quo. And it seems many are quite happy with the status quo just as it is. We can’t have any ideas of unity, can we?

        The PLP have held on to power effectively by using a classic case of divide and conquer. Not only is there a push to divide the races, but a push to pit blacks against each other. If you’re critical of the PLP, you’re a house n***a, if you’re a supporter you’re a ‘real’, loyal Black Bermudian. It’s obvious to anyone with their head not stuck in the sand, some are too blinded by party loyalty to see that a select group of people are living quite comfortably off your backs, and content in the knowledge that they’d get voted in time and time again, no matter how incompetent their actual performance is. Heard anything more about the TCD emissions report? Nope. Think you will?

        Dale Butler, in my view, is a man of character. If his ideas and talents aren’t appreciated by the party he has served all his political life, then I think the response to that is obvious. Go somewhere where you’re appreciated, and where you can actually make a difference.

      • Lissa says:

        Tired. i think that is a question better posed to Mr. Alvin Williams…….

    • Alex Jones says:

      Typically sloppy reporting.

      The TV news did the same thing when they repeated a libellous allegations post on the Official PLP Blog (later removed) about me and a few other people. A phone call could have sorted it out.

  7. terry says:

    Am I missing something here. I thought this was about Jonathan Smith.

  8. S says:

    LOL @ Terry … this is what “bermudaians” do with every story .. I was thinking the same thing right before I read your comment haha

    • Tired of nonsense says:

      What are “bermudians?” Why is that in quotations?

  9. terry says:

    @ Tired…..Ask Mr. Williams. And it’s “Bermudaians”.

    @S it’s called the ‘Jumping Onion Syndrome’. Unfortunately, the Onion Fields are not being planted like years ago as the seed is being exported faster than it can be germinated.

  10. terry says:

    Triple Irony. I just found out that my old friend Quinton Edness is live in Bermuda Dunes.
    I guess the only one left is Sir John Swan…………………..

    In fact, I am starting a new Forum called “Where have all the Onions Gone”. The new version of the song will be sung by ‘Peter Desousa, Paul Smith and Mary Bascombe’………………………………..

  11. bermuda first says:

    Mr. Smith I admire you in coming forth and stating the FACTS. Wish cowardly Mr. Dunkley would get over his sour milk syndrome and come out and say where he stands instead of getting his elderly mom to do his JOB. He’s not a team player, spoil white boy who does not want to be lead by a Black man nor give a former drug user a chance but would give a former drug dealer/stealer a chance. Go figure?

  12. Triangle Drifter says:

    On the possibility, in politics everything is always a possiibility, of Dale Butler leaving the PLP, Dale Butler is going nowhere. Life is too good right where he is. IMO any politian worth anything who recieved the jilting he got should have jumped ship the day after the conference to elect the new Premier. He is far more the peoples person than either of the other two. Talk of being inclusive of talent, for the betterment of the Island, outside of the PLP got him. He does not have the backbone to jump ship. He will stay put unless booted out. He will faithfully do as he is told, unless he has to go to the bathroom at the time.