Opposition Leader Mark Golding late last night (June 15) announced several changes to the Shadow Cabinet, including the return of Natalie Neita-Garvey, increasing the membership of the council of spokespersons to 20.

At the same time, in what the party would hope to be a significant sign of healing of wounds, Phillip Paulwell – who earlier this year clashed philosophically with the People’s National Party president on the matter of support of states of emergency – has been handed the role of leader of opposition business in the House of Representatives.

Neita-Garvey, a former sports minister in the Portia Simpson Miller-led People’s National Party (PNP) administration, had been among former spokespersons left out of the Shadow Cabinet named when Mark Golding took over the reins of the party from Dr Peter Phillips in 2020.

Under Phillips, Neita-Garvey had served as Opposition spokesperson on local government, community development and sport, a post to which she now returns.

In addition to Neita-Garvey’s return, Golding has added information to Senator Donna Scott-Mottley’s justice portfolio, and removed gender affairs.

He has also moved Senator Damion Crawford to education, training and competitiveness (from culture and entertainment).

Dr Angela Brown-Burke takes charge of labour and social security, moving from education and training.

Mikael Phillips has had housing removed from his transport and works portfolios, giving that area up to Senator Floyd Morris, who is now in charge of housing and sustainable living. He gives up labour, social security and special abilities.

Meanwhile Denise Daley, who was previously responsible for local government and community development, now takes charge of gender, culture and social transformation.

Senator Janice Allen sees linkages added to her tourism portfolio and Senator Gabriela Morris has been given the entertainment portfolio along with her previously held youth responsibilities (but now without sports).

Paulwell, the former party chairman, was in 2021 among a group of senior PNP officials to resign their posts in the wake of the divisive 2020 presidential election that saw Golding defeating Lisa Hanna.

At the time, Paulwell and PNP vice presidents Crawford, Wykeham McNeill and Mikael Phillips said in a letter that they had concluded that “the sincerity of certain members of the leadership was not forthcoming and that the minimalist effort towards unity was a charade that is inimical to a genuine pursuit of unity”.

However, with his acceptance of the symbolically significant post of leader of opposition business, Paulwell and Golding appear to have moved past any differences they or their supporters may have had, for the benefit of the party.

Paulwell takes over from Anthony Hylton, who has a stacked plate after joining the Constitutional Reform Committee, alongside Senator Donna Scott-Mottley. Hylton is also PNP representative in the Social Partnership Council.

Neita-Garvey, meanwhile, will serve as deputy to Paulwell in the House.

The changes to the Shadow Cabinet came just a day after the closing of the 2022-2023 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives, which had given spokespersons for all portfolios to outline their thoughts on issues for which some of them now no longer have the responsibility to address.

Full List of Shadow Cabinet