IN ONE CORNER THE SPEAKER: IN THE OTHER THE P.M.

The price which Hubert Minnis, the Prime Minister and the FNM, are paying for denying the renomination of Halson Moultrie, the Speaker, is like the poetic fury of a woman scorned. Mr. Moultrie will be, it seems, a thorn in their side from now until the general election is called. He has hung his hat on the themes disrespect of Parliament by the executive and parliamentary independence.  He is now champion of those.

It was not so long ago that he was champion of denying Glenys Hanna Martin, the PLP MP and the only woman in the House for the PLP, the right to speak.  He had her suspended twice.  Threatened the police once.  The Opposition moved a vote of no confidence in him  which the Government perversely turned into a  vote of confidence.

So this is a late convert to the rule of law, democracy and the rights of Parliament.  It is almost comical. It is good cover, though most of us see right through it.

The Speaker is embarrassed and mad as hell that he will not get the nomination and what he is doing now is pure revenge for that. He is giving it to them good, without lube.

So the latest by his reckoning after Deacon Jeffery Lloyd opened in prayer ( former a Roman Catholic Deacon now Minister of Education). The Speaker came with a broadside. He said that the Clerk of the House David Forbes had come down with Covid and he ( the Speaker) had asked for guidance on how matters should be conducted.  He wanted  the House shut down for two weeks and all staff quarantined. He said the Prime Minister simply wrote back noted.

That put hell in the Speaker and he said, since he was being disrespected, if the Prime Minister wanted war, then war he will get. He then adjourned the House peremptorily until 3 May 2021.

It led to banner headlines. The PLP can sit back, buy some popcorn and watch.