On December 28th of 2004, Mark Espat was fired from Cabinet and Cordel Hyde resigned in solidarity with his G-7 comrade and brother in law. In the 10 months since then both representatives have strongly criticized government from the backbench of the National Assembly. In January, they made parliamentary history when they voted against the Prime Minister's 2005/2006 budget. But through all that turbulence, they never resigned from the PUP and the PUP never expelled them, so like a warring man and wife, they were separated, but never divorced.
Well now multiple, senior sources in the PUP are telling us that a reconciliation is in the works and that by next week Mark Espat and Cordel Hyde will be back under the blue tent. Of course, that's not what those in Espat's camp told us they would only concede that there have been meetings, and there may be more, but no decision has been made. And while it's not official, those multiple PUP sources are telling us that a deal has been struck, and both Ministers will be offered well-sized, mid-level Cabinet portfolios.
It's urgent for both sides: the PUP feels it has no chance in the municipal elections if it does not have the support of the Albert and Lake Independence constituencies, while supporters and constituents of both representatives have been languishing without ministerial backative. And in fact, support for both representatives has been eroding as we found out from this Mark Espat supporter and die hard PUP who we found in the thick of a UDP convention on Sunday afternoon.
PUP Supporter,
"You can't get a job, you can't pick up a dollar out here, life is rough, you can't even get a bread from them out here. You don't think its time for them to go?"
Jules Vasquez,
All those people out here seem to think so.
PUP Supporter,
"Well I want all those people out there to think just like that because you see me, I am a diehard PUP. I am strictly Mark Espat and everybody knows that but like how Mark is gone, I am gone too. You understand?"
Jules Vasquez,
Mark will come back though.
PUP Supporter,
"Well once he comes back, I am for him and he is for me."
And while that Espat supporter voted UDP on that day according to the UDP's stats, Albert voters had a strong showing at the City Council convention.
