Today, the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) celebrates its 80th anniversary, marking a historic movement that led the Party to become one of the two major political bodies in Jamaica.
Founded by Sir Alexander Bustamante on July 8, 1943, the JLP says it is dedicated to the upliftment of the people of Jamaica.
The JLP won its first general election in 1944, a year after its establishment, securing 22 of the 33 seats available at the time. They went on to win the 1949 elections but lost power to the People’s National Party (PNP) in 1955.
The party has seen six leaders who proudly wore the party colour green and its bell symbol. The former leaders include Sir Alexander Bustamante, followed by Donald Sangster, Hugh Shearer, Edward Seaga, and Bruce Golding.
Today, the JLP is the governing party in Jamaica, having secured 49 of the 63 parliamentary seats in the House of Representatives in the 2020 general elections.
In a message to its supporters today (July 8), party leader and Prime Minister of Jamaica Andrew Holness said the JLP has transformed Jamaica’s economic outlook, and he is privileged to be the Party’s leader.
“Having nurtured the foundation, we are in a position to make meaningful change in our country as we have demonstrated through the number of major projects we are completing and the impactful policy changes we have instituted. Our priority is the people and the improvement of their lives. The Jamaica Labour Party; this is 80,” said Holness in a post on Twitter.
According to the Statistical Institute of Jamaica, the country saw a 5.9 per cent increase in its economy during the third quarter of 2022, compared to the same quarter of 2021. The economy also grew by 2.7 per cent in the January to March 2023 quarter compared to the corresponding period last year.
World Bank President, Ajay Banga also praised Jamaica for its economic health and how the country traversed the COVID-19 pandemic to recover from its effects.
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