And Willoughby might have almost been spared from running against his father-in-law after Allan Pollard set his sights on Port Loyola. His hope was to replace Gilroy Usher as standard bearer, but that dream was shot down by the PUP executive at a meeting yesterday.
The PM was one of those who opposed his candidacy and today said that Pollard has a future in politics, but maybe not in Port. Here's how he put it.
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"Allan Pollard is a very, very talented young man, a young man that has a very, very bright future in politics and as such we believe we need to be able to work with him and to mentor him and to prepare him for leadership at a national level."
"Again, it was a recommendation of the national campaign committee that we should not allow Mr. Pollard to go in for a convention and there are many reasons and the issues that the area representative has been doing a pretty good job and when you look at the results of the city council elections, the area representative, Minister Usher, won that area for the city council two to one, obviously it is because he is working but again we believe that Allan Pollard has a bright future in politics and we are going to work with him, he is young yet he is I think 29 years old and so the energy of youth and the impatience when you are young, you want to get everything done, you just have to work with him and hold his hand and I am very confident that who knows, one day you could probably even be Prime Minister."
Reporter
"But as a political venture, do you think it was wise for him to abandon his efforts in Queens Square?"
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"I think we want to leave it as that, I think that he has a right to decide where he believes he can be the most effective and we will continue working with Allan."
