Winston Connolly after a week ago saying he was staying with the Progressives issued a Press Release saying the opposite.

Winston Connolly Press Release in full:

“Ensuring opportunities for current and future generations of Caymanians is one of the platforms on which I ran. I believe the best way to achieve this is to continue attracting world class talent to make Cayman their home. While doing this it is critical to ensure that organisations, including our Government, have the necessary systems and processes in place to ensure that young Caymanian talent is mentored, supported and extended every opportunity to achieve their full potential. If we do not achieve this we will have failed in our efforts to ensure that we continue to have ‘One Cayman’ full of opportunity for all.

“I ran as an independent candidate and was elected by the people of George Town to provide them good and honest representation. Over the past three years I have made every effort to work closely with the Progressives led coalition Government in the best interests of my constituents. It is now clear to me that I would better serve them and this country if I were not a Councillor. I realised that I’m not a politician. I’m a just an ordinary Caymanian who serves his community as a Member of the Legislative Assembly. Nothing more.

“People need to come ahead of parties. People need to come ahead of politics. I am here to serve the people, not the parties. Going forward as an Independent I feel I will be in a better position to raise the pressing and important issues facing our Beloved Cayman Islands. I will support the Government in whatever I believe is in the best interest of theses Islands and my people. I am here to be a voice for the people and I will be an independent voice, standing firmly in opposition to any proposals that go against their best interests.”

So MLA Connolly says he is not a politician after 3 years of being one after running for election as a Member of the Legislative Assembly that engages in politics.

There are numerous definitions of what a politician is and the Cambridge Dictionary defines it simply as “a member of a government or law-making organization”.

If you read the definition in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary it defines a Simple Definition of Politician similarly as “someone who is active in government usually as an elected official”.

However, their Full Definition of Politician is:

1 a person experienced in the art or science of government; especially : one actively engaged in conducting the business of a government

2

a : a person engaged in party politics as a profession
b : a person primarily interested in political office for selfish or other narrow usually short-sighted reasons

I presume Connolly is saying he is not under the definition given under 2 b but is frightened of becoming one.

Is he implying, then, all his colleagues who are part of a political party are all likened under definition 2 b?

“People need to come ahead of parties. People need to come ahead of politics. I am here to serve the people, not the parties. Going forward as an Independent I feel I will be in a better position to raise the pressing and important issues facing our Beloved Cayman Islands,” Connolly says.

How very noble. Except when he was a Councillor he had a voice and a vote where it really mattered – in the government. Now he sits on the back bench!

Of course it has nothing to do with the Progressives announcing they are going ahead with the cruise ship facility and that is not going to win any votes in the next election from one camp.

By being independent you can tend to sit on the fence and listen to both sides with one foot in each camp and get a much better chance of being elected.

In theory anyway.

One thing Connolly has learnt in his brief excursion in the world of politics is how to use the vocabulary according to the most Learned Society of Gobbledegook.

I just wish he would tell us his real reason.

UPDATE: Since I wrote this Winston Connolly has publically given his reason for his resignation:

At a public meeting on Thursday night (21 January) he said in the recent past he has had difficulties with the People’s Progressives Movement (PPM) members seconding and supporting his motions.