Our guest was Errol McLeod, a retired leader of Trinidad and Tobago Oil Workers’ Union. In addition Mr. McLeod, a pan-Africanist, is a former United Labour Front member of parliament who represented the Oropouche constituency from 1976 to 1981.  Mr. McLeod spoke of his second bid for a parliamentary seat under the banner of the five-party unity pact – the People’s Partnership Coalition, and as United National Council representative for the Point-a-Pierre from whence he hails.

A confident McLeod took some time out from his election campaign trail to explain his reason for making a second parliamentary bid in the May 24, 2010 general election.  He predicted a “white wash” in favour of the United National Council (UNC) led by Mrs. Kamla Persad-Bissessar against the People’s National Movement (PNM) led by Prime Minister Patrick Manning.  As he lamented the effects of the rise in crime, corruption and increase in poverty in Trinidad and Tobago under the NDP, he argued that Prime Minister Manning had a “skewed idea of what development was about.”  He also criticized the Prime Minister for trying to obliterate the name and spirit of Eric Williams who is considered the true father of the nation.  In support of the UNC’s leader, Persad-Bissesar, Mr. McLeod describes her as having “a spirit that attracts people to her and an attitude that suggests we must be accommodating” which is different to that which Panday and Manning have been promoting.

Of the two issues that are hallmarks of his career (trade unionism and pan-Africanism), McLeod admits that the trade union did not fare well under a former UNC administration led by Basdeo Panday and that Kamala, under that leadership, was afraid to challenge in the same way that the PNMites are afraid to challenge Manning, today.  On the issue of pan-Africanism, he promises that under a UNC government, there will be “a greater interest and more serious involvement” in it.