Kempe Steps Down, New Senator Appointed
Nick Kempe, the One Bermuda Alliance Senate Leader and Shadow Finance Minister, is to “stand down from the Party to pursue new opportunities overseas,” the OBA announced today.
“Marcus Jones will become the Party’s new leader in the Senate and Jarion Richardson, Managing Principal at Certainty., has been appointed to the Senate team. Pat Gordon-Pamplin becomes the new Shadow Finance Minister,” the OBA said.
“Since becoming politically active in 2011, I have served Bermuda in various capacities from Parish Councils and Government Boards as well as the One Bermuda Alliance from Caucus Chair through to Senator,” said Mr Kempe.
He added: “I was not able to perform any of these roles alone. Accordingly, I would like to thank all those who advised me and gave their time or financial support during election campaigns and other endeavours.
“I would also like to thank all those who welcomed me into their homes and shared their perspectives, hopes and fears about Bermuda. In particular I want to thank Craig for bringing me back into the OBA fold and showing so much confidence in me.”
Senator Dwayne Robinson, Whip Susan Jackson, OBA Leader Craig Cannonier, new Senator Jarion Richardson, OBA Deputy Leader Leah Scott, Nick Kempe and new OBA Senate Leader Marcus Jones
“As a result of an opportunity overseas, I will no longer be able to directly lend my energy, work and thoughts to political public service.”
Mr Kempe, who is fluent in Spanish, is leaving to live in Spain, where he went to university and high school.
“I would like to see Bermuda prosper in a way that benefits all through the empowerment of those that need a hand up as opposed to tearing down those deemed as enemies. I would like to see a more tolerant Bermuda of those that look, think or love differently.
“I would like to see a political environment that is more welcoming and collaborative where not only those immune to bullying can thrive.
“Marcus will do a great job in the leading the Senate and Mr Richardson is an excellent appointment.”
OBA Leader Craig Cannonier said: “Nick has been an extraordinary servant to both the OBA and the people of Bermuda and, as Senate Leader for the OBA, he has been a consistent thorn in the side of the Government.
“I hope that this is more a case of ‘au revoir’ than goodbye. There will always be a place for Nick Kempe within the OBA leadership team.
“However, we now look to the future and I have every confidence that Marcus will continue to hold this Government’s feet to the fire in the Senate.
“I am also delighted to welcome Mr Richardson to the OBA family. With Dwayne Robinson, we have a fine Senate team.”
The OBA said, “Mr Richardson was educated at Southampton Glebe, Warwick Secondary School and Bermuda Institute,
“He has served in the Bermuda Police Service, ending in the Intelligence Division. During that time, he also served in the Royal Bermuda Regiment, including overseas attachments to British Forces.
“After the BPS, Mr Richardson worked at the law firm Appleby and the Bermuda Monetary Authority. In 2016, he started the compliance services firm Certainty.”
On why he accepted the Senate invitation, he said: “The country is contending with an oversized debt, crippling healthcare costs, cost-of-living and a failed immigration policy. Multiply that with an as-yet unresolved racial heritage and crumbling social institutions.
“In the future, my daughters will ask what role I played in the hard decisions to be made in the present. I don’t have an answer yet, so I’ve joined the Senate to make one.”
Mr Jones added: “It has been an absolute pleasure to work with Nick. He has been a great servant to the people of Bermuda, and I wish him well for the future.”
LOL no words.
Yet you managed to post ‘words.’
Strange.
And the Surrogate continues.
I mean saga.
Your comment is deep. So so deep.
No words.
Too expensive to live in Bermuda.
This party is 98% white and the 2% that is black is trying to be the face of the party. Craig people are tired of the UBP tricks. At least Nick smart enough to leave the Titanic no matter his reason.
lmao guess who failed math in school….
Guess who keeps changing the name and looking for surrogates?? The oba is the UBP fact.
Guess who bankrupted us and scared away all confidence in Bermuda ?
there are more UBP leaders in the PLP than the OBA … and that does not include Simmons who is NLP, UBP and PLP …
If want to keep it real he departed like all the other black members and voters that helped you win so many years ago. Now the only blacks left represent 4% of the entire white party. Thus the very reason it was 24 plp to 11 obaUBP last election. Without Craig running as your front man you have nothing and he like many know this.
Sad how so many black men and women left this party. Even more sad is the only thing you did to change was a name over night. Nick Kemp left the OBA because you’re losers not winners.
Another one who refuses to accept why black members and voters left the UBPoba. Find a better leader before the 2021 election. The present one with his track record is not worth sacrificing the party for.
Why is the Pepper Spray joker always there for a photo op?
Lolololol because of jet gate.
Sad, Bermuda needs more people like Nick Kempe involved in politics.
Take de money and run!!!!!!!!!!!
Kempe, are leaving the Island for the same reason as others,good luck and thank you for your services.
This just whom the green partí the next election!!!! Lol
Nice gramma
So long Nick lol
Nick is good, but so is Jarion. Great catch for the OBA, excellent MP material.
Are you stupid or dumb? With jet gate as the leader still. The plp will be the Government. Can’t we find someone else to lead in the OBA. I actually thought Nick would be the one to remove him. He certainly had my family’s vote.
But they need a face to get de other voters
Does that say more about the OBA or the voters?
It says the OBA is using front man like the UBP did for years to try and get elected again. This time they have the wrong front man. Mr. C is not respected among the voters that you need to swing back.
You UBPPers will say anything. Nick departed from a sinking ship is all I see.
Learn to read the article, not just the posts. Nick is leaving Bermuda to pursue new opportunities overseas.
Nick is leaving because he like many before him realize the OBA experiment is nothing but BUllS#%# in a teacup and is not worth his energy or extra stress.
But when other people leave Bermuda to pursue new opportunities its labeled as a nagative.
Two Bermudas
Keep it up OJ and I will leave Bermuda just to escape the likes of you. But then that is what you want, and then you can justify everything by blaming my kind for leaving Bermuda in the lurch when all you do is attack us every day
We need a third party with a mix of Bermudians from all color and creed. The oba = UBP continues to use surrogates.
It never used ‘surrogates’. The lies you people come out with. Utter crap.
They already tried and it failed.
It straight up doesnt matter what “new” party gets created. In bermuda if its anything but the plp, it will be auto labelled the “surrogate” party. Lets be real here lol. The plp will be in for the long haul. With any luck, they will get their s&@t together……. i wont hold my breath.
The former BDA party was a third option and they would have generated more seats if they hadn’t merge with the UBP. It was only a matter of time.
Thh BDA was supposed to be that other party. It had good people and it had a vision for the future of Bermuda that was inclusive. Then the UBP imploded and most UBP members joined the BDA. Those former UBP members did not change their ways, so they drove away the free thinkers that started the BDA. Then the renamed the BDA to be the OBA.
Any new party will need to have the power to exclude those they do not want.
Nice guy but we need leaders. People who have been in the filed. Oh we will get some nice speeches and many that are written by press agenets when we need action. At the end of the day Cannonier will go. Their hardest workers rarely get asked. They have ideas and are leaders but they are ignored. With the Govt mis-stepping and falling asleep the Opposition buries itself once again.
this is what happens when you keep using the race card
Ouch. Pretty damning indictment on Bermuda’s future when the leader of the Senate Opposition sees a better future in another country.
That’s because we have PLP. 20 years of failure