Going forward from the St Joseph defeat there needs to be a stock-taking within the People's Partnership. The stark reality is that even though this government is still much stronger than the previous administration was at its zenith, and despite having fought and survived four bruising elections in one year, that claims can be made from opposition forces that the government is losing ground and every effort must be made to deal with that perception.
I have suggested before that the marketing challenge of promoting a brand "People's Partnership" that sends voters out to vote for "anything but" is an exercise that is destined to fail especially as they are engaged in building a brand no one can profitably use where it matters, in the voting booth.
The political decision that needs to be made in preparation for 2015 is for all of the individual parties (UNC, COP, NJAC and TOP) to embrace the People's Partnership as a party of parties and to abandon their current identities and merge into one complete, cohesive unit.
This creates many opportunities and negates many weaknesses with the existing arrangement, with the greatest pluses being that for the first time the party will be able to simplify its communication message across all platforms, and the voters will be able to vote for a PP candidate regardless of constituency, wherever in T&T.
The mechanics should be easy to work out with an internal party group structure created to share power, but this move would be a huge plus and an ideal way to show the public that you believe in what you are selling.This is my suggestion and what I believe should be the push–to create and market brand "People's Partnership Party" as one single formidable contender, ready to do battle with all comers and squared off against the People's National Movement for 2015.
Phillip Edward Alexander
Social & Political Activist