WARMINGTON TO BECOME MINISTER OF WORKS

Everald Warmington is set to be appointed a minister of state in the new Government led by Prime Minister Andrew Holness, the Jamaica Observer has learnt.
Warmington, the Member of Parliament for St Catherine South West, was initially left out of Holness’s top-tier leadership when the prime minister announced his Cabinet and ministers of state last week.
The absence of his name initially raised eyebrows in Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) circles, as despite his attitude, oftentimes described as crass, his loyalty to Holness and successive victories in his constituency for the party in many elections would have propelled him into the spotlight of possible leadership.
Warmington, 64, will handle the works portfolio and will operate out of the Office of the Prime Minister at Jamaica House. He will likely be sworn in early this week, a highly placed Government source said.

The outspoken Warmington has earned the wrath of several on many occasions with outburts that have not gone down well with the public.
His gesture of sticking his middle finger at journalists last year, while they sought information on a JLP rift at the party’s headquarters, was widely condemned.
Equally, his verbal attack on fellow parliamentarian Lisa Hanna, whom he called a Jezebel during a sitting of the House of Representatives last year, was also described as uncouth and vulgar by a wide cross section of the society.
In earlier years, he also told a CVM Television anchor to “go to hell” when asked a question, an act that was condemned by the Press Association of Jamaica, the International Federation of Journalists, and the Caribbean Broadcasting Association.
Warmington had also had his run-ins with former Contractor General Greg Christie, whom he once described as an “overzealous idiot” when Christie raised questions about a contract that was awarded to a company, of which Warmington, at the time, was said to be a director.
Efforts to reach Warmington for a comment yesterday were unsuccessful. He won the St Catherine North West seat in convincing fashion over People’s National Party businessman Ruddy Mears in the February 25, 2016 General Election.
Warmington first won the seat in the 1980 General Election, beating the PNP’s Ruddy Lawson.
After a stint outside of the JLP, he returned to elective politics in 1993, but lost the seat to Lawson. Another defeat to PNP Women’s Movement President Jennifer Edwards in 1997 forced Warmington to watch proceedings from the sidelines for another five years.
However, he returned in the 2002 election to upset Edwards, and has kept to seat since.
The Sunday Observer was told that a role is also being sought for parliamentarian Marisa Dalrymple-Phillibert, who was also initially overlooked for a Cabinet position, or that of minister of state.
A lawyer, Dalrymple-Phillibert was thought to have been ideally suited for Speaker of the House of Representatives, a position that has gone to veteran parliamentarian Pearnel Charles.
Her sharp legal mind and experience, some of those close to the JLP hierarchy have said, would allow her to be in control of proceedings in the Lower House.
However, officials of the JLP have said that the continued discord that exists between party leader Holness and Dalrymple-Phillibert has shown no sign of improving, hence she was not considered for a role in the Cabinet.
“Holness is yet to forgive her for supporting Shaw,” one top JLP man told the Sunday Observer, in reference to the losing challenge by Audley Shaw to Holness’s leadership in 2013.
“The funny thing is that Holness and Shaw have patched up their differences, as far as we are seeing on the surface, but there continues to be challenges for other JLP politicians who supported Shaw over Holness,” the official said.