As a former vice-captain of the West Indies women’s cricket team in England in 1979, Patricia Whittaker appreciates a good cricketing metaphor when she hears it.
So, when Owen Arthur made an unfathomable outburst attacking Mia Mottley, and when she declined to respond by saying “those deliveries are best left outside the offstump”, Whittaker, now a senior court attorney in New York City’s family court in the Bronx, agreed with the Opposition Leader.
“I love the metaphor she used,” the mother of a teenage daughter said.
Like many Bajans in North America, Whittaker chided the former Prime Minister for his “intemperate language” and the distraction which his attack on Mottley might have caused at a time when Barbadians were trying to deal with a difficult economic situation.
“We have many important issues in Barbados right now to discuss and this has received so much attention that it is unfortunate,” said the attorney, described by the 1980 Wisden Cricketer’s Almanac as the “cornerstone” of her touring team in 1979.
 “I thought it was a beautiful metaphor because it is so apt without having to say anything more. Politicians should stay focused on issues and not engage in a tit-for-tat. When they do, they can hook those bouncers over the boundary. I abhor personal attacks. We should concentrate on uplifting each other, not denigrating people.”
In a move that surprised many Bajans, Arthur said Mottley “faces a problem of being accepted by the society at large and faces a problem of being accepted by a cross section of the BLP (Barbados Labour Party)”.
He went further. Insisting “the challenge is not about a struggle between Mia Mottley and myself” for the party’s leadership, Arthur claimed he found it “most exasperating” when Barbadians of all walks of life told him they wanted him back.
The reaction to Arthur’s statement among Bajans in North America ranged from shock, disappointment and outrage to lukewarm agreement. Many who had previously questioned Mottley’s leadership style felt compelled to back her, complaining that Arthur had blindsided her in a public forum when he should have made his comments within the bosom of the BLP.
“What he did was not only unfortunate but an outrage and a naked grab for power once again,” said Darnley, a Bajan in Toronto who asked that his last name be withheld. “Here we have Barbados losing ground economically and instead of fighting the Government and its policies, Arthur is fighting Mottley publicly. He has his priorities mixed up.”
Reuben Best, a retired telecommunications corporate manager in Brooklyn, found Arthur’s criticisms “surprising” and wondered why he didn’t sit down privately with Mottley and discuss any differences without going public.
“We need a strong Opposition in Barbados to keep any government on its toes,” said Best. “I agree with Mottley’s stand by not engaging in tit-for-tat with Arthur. If I were in her position, my focus would be on rebuilding the party and working in the interest of all people from all shades of political opinion. That is the mature approach. We may have our differences but in the end it is the people who we serve. We serve God by serving people.”
Interestingly, Best, a trained student of theology, was quick to say that Arthur’s words wouldn’t tarnish his legacy as the country’s Prime Minister for 14 years.
Basyl Barrow, a travel specialist, was convinced Arthur miscalculated the situation and it had backfired.
“He didn’t believe she had that amount of charisma and support in the country as judged by the overwhelmingly negative reaction to his remarks,” Barrow said. “It is backfiring on him. Look, the BLP doesn’t have any other alternative to run the party.”
Clearly, Arthur was wrong. For one thing, he broke a cardinal rule: public figures should agree to disagree without being disagreeable. His statements were “disagreeable”.
For another, he should know by now that despite what people may say, less than two years after he led the BLP to defeat and what they tell him about wanting him back at the helm, he led the party to a sound defeat last year, a margin that gave the Democratic Labour Party and David Thompson a strong mandate to govern.
Thirdly, he had Mottley in his Cabinet for 14 years, giving her key portfolios. So he is quite familiar with her ability. After all, he made her Deputy Prime Minister and then voluntarily handed over the party leadership to her last year. So his comments say more about him, especially his temperament and judgement, than they tell us about Mottley.