AMONG the people whose political fortunes have been boosted by Prime Minister (PM) Andrew Holness’s popularity is his wife – Juliet Ann Marie.

The businesswoman and real estate developer, who is seeking a second successive term as Member of Parliament (MP) for St Andrew East Rural, revealed in an interview with the Jamaica Observer yesterday that the “Brogad” concept — a popular term that has been tagged to her husband in recent times — had served to energise Jamaicans generally, and specifically those in the constituency which she seeks to represent again.

But the mom of two boys was quick to point out that it is not only the “hype” of the Brogad moniker that had drawn people closer to the party that her husband leads.

“People love the Brogad concept,” she said of the word which describes the machismo of a man. “They identify the PM as synonymous with a substantial performance of Team JLP [Jamaica Labour Party]. It’s credited to the work and action of the PM, and as such I believe that it will be a positive in every constituency that the JLP candidates across the country seek to represent,” she told the Sunday Observer while on the campaign trail.

Her opponent in the seat is Joan Gordon Webley of the People’s National Party (PNP), who won the seat for the Jamaica Labour Party in the bruising and bloody general election of 1980. Mere days before that general election, Roy McGann, the PNP’s candidate, and his bodyguard, were shot dead and three people were injured in Gordon Town square, a popular section of the constituency, where JLP supporters gathered for a meeting. Police records showed that 844 people died in that election campaign.

Juliet Holness made a resounding political statement in the general election of February 25, 2016 when she secured a comfortable victory over the PNP’s Imani Duncan-Price. The fairer Holness polled 10,101 votes to Duncan Price’s 9,432 for a margin of 669.

It marked a telling moment in her political life, as she was initially named as campaign manager of the original JLP candidate for the constituency, Alexander Williams, but stepped forward with vigour when Williams changed his mind about running.

Juliet Holness says that although her husband is popular — and, naturally, JLP candidates would piggyback on that popularity — it was the work that she put in during the last four years in the constituency that has made it a “much stronger” seat for the JLP now than in 2016.

“In the election campaign he came once and we were very happy to have him. They love the Brogad concept, they love the Brogad armbands and paraphernalia, but there is far more to it than just the hype of Brogad…it is the work and performance of the Government over the last four and a half years,” she said.

“If Mr Holness didn’t come to the constituency at all the people in the constituency would still be in a place where they appreciate the work we have done… the work their MP has done, and the work the Government has done. It’s a good, positive addition to have the PM around though. The people love the excitement, they love having the prime minister,” she added.

And, despite the ups and downs that are a part of any election campaign, the prime minister’s wife said she manages to perform her duties as mother, and an integral member of the family, even though the going gets sticky on the trail.

“My children understand. My 17-year-old son even told me this morning that he is ready to get his driver’s licence, so I told him I will make the necessary arrangements. You have to juggle everything; for in the end, family is what counts… that is very much what remains when all of this is over.”

As for the seat that she will defend, Holness said that she was under no real pressure to repeat, and expects to do so at a time when things are better organised.

“We are much stronger than we were in 2016, and that can be credited to two things — the volume of work done in the constituency and the volume of work done generally by the Government. So it has been two good positives for us.

“As MP I have prided myself on one mantra: Whatever I commit to, I deliver, and so persons can trust my word. The day I got elected as MP I was very adamant that performance must be the hallmark of what determines for my constituents whether or not I deserve another term. And, so from day one, I worked hard and took nothing for granted.”

Will she secure a more resounding victory than that which she recorded in 2016?

“Absolutely,” she declared. “We can expect a bigger victory this time. I want to big up my East Rural St Andrew family. It is good to be in a place where you have so many people who have changed their approach to what they expect from people in politics. They are no longer convinced by the garbage discussions. What they want is the people who represent them to do good and work hard, and I welcome that about them.”

Known for her methodical campaigning style, she said that she has assisted other candidates in their campaigns and, even at the height of the COVID-19 challenges, she went to several parishes to help distribute care packages.

The St Andrew East Rural seat usually vacillates in political fortunes over the years.