Sir James needs to stop embarrassing NDP – Leacock

Vice-President of the New Democratic Party (NDP) St Claire Leacock has called on Sir James Mitchell, founder of the NDP, to stop embarrassing the party.

Leacock’s outburst came on Monday, in response to a question from a caller, as he hosted the New Times programme on Nice Radio.{{more}}

The caller asked party president and Leader of the Opposition, Arnhim Eustace, who was also present in studio, to say something about a comment he had heard that Sir James had passed on some money to the NDP.

“We don’t have no time for that, really and truly,” Leacock said brusquely.

“Somebody has to be bold enough to say on this radio, that it is time Mr Mitchell stops this stupidness that he is carrying on with, and all he is doing is embarrassing the party and embarrassing himself, and if this goes back to him publicly, it is time he hears that. He is consistently embarrassing everyone of us who is serving the NDP now and who should be standing, fighting in his name,” Leacock said.

The caller had apparently been making a reference to a report that Sir James had recently handed over US$20,000 to Eustace, on behalf of a donor.

According to a source, in the letter that accompanied the cheque, Sir James, this country’s prime minister from 1984 to 2000, told Eustace that he should consider using the money to give assistance to former NDP spokesperson Elwardo G. Lynch and to conduct a poll on the popularity of the NDP and its leadership.