About Jamaica Prime Minister Andrew Michael Holness

Joshua KING Bolatunji Imahfidon

Feb 21, 20213 min read

The Most Honourable Andrew Holness ON MP

Prime Minister Andrew Michael Holness

Prime Minister of Jamaica

Assumed office 3 March 2016

Monarch - Elizabeth II

Governor General - Patrick Allen

Preceded by Portia Simpson-Miller

In office

23 October 2011 – 5 January 2012
Monarch - Elizabeth II
Governor General - Patrick Allen
Preceded by Bruce Golding
Succeeded by Portia Simpson-Miller

Leader of the Jamaica Labour Party

Assumed office 20 November 2011
Preceded by Bruce Golding

Minister of Education

In office 11 September 2007 – 1 January 2012

Prime Minister - Bruce Golding Himself

Preceded by Maxine Henry-Wilson

Succeeded by Ronald Thwaites

Personal details

Born - Andrew Michael Holness 22 July 1972 (age 48) Spanish Town, Jamaica

Political party - Jamaica Labour Party

Spouse(s) - Juliet Landell (m. 1997)

Children - 2

Alma mater - University of the West Indies

Andrew Michael Holness, ON, MP (born 22 July 1972) is a Jamaican politician who has been the Prime Minister of Jamaica since 3 March 2016, following the 2016 Jamaican general election. Holness previously served as prime minister from October 2011 to 5 January 2012. He succeeded Bruce Golding as prime minister, and decided to go to the polls in the 29 December 2011 general election in an attempt to get his own mandate from the Jamaican electorate. He failed in that bid, however, losing to the People's National Party led by Portia Simpson-Miller, with the PNP gaining 42 seats to the Jamaica Labour Party's 21. Following that defeat, Holness served as Leader of the Opposition from January 2012 to March 2016, when he once again assumed the position of prime minister.[2] In 2020, The Labour Party won a landslide in another general election, and on 7 September Holness was sworn in for another term as prime minister.

Holness is the youngest person to have been elected and reelected prime minister in Jamaica's history. He is also the first prime minister to have been born after Jamaica gained independence in 1962.

Early life

Andrew Holness is a graduate of St. Catherine High School and of the University of the West Indies, where he pursued a Bachelor of Science in Management Studies and a Master of Science in Development Studies. In 1997 he married Juliet Holness (née Landell), an accountant, whom he had met as a student at St. Catherine High School during the 1980s.The couple have two children, Adam and Matthew.

Holness served as Executive Director at the Voluntary Organization for Uplifting Children from 1994 to 1996 and then joined the Premium Group of Companies, acting as a special assistant to Edward Seaga.

He is a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Political career

In 1997 he became Member of Parliament for West Central St. Andrew and served as Opposition Spokesperson on Land and Development from 1999 to 2002. In 2002 he switched portfolio to Housing and then Education in 2005. He was sworn in as Minister of Education in September 2007.

Prime Minister of Jamaica

He succeeded Bruce Golding as both leader of the JLP and prime minister on 23 October 2011, making him the ninth person to hold this office. As prime minister, he chose to retain the education portfolio.

2011 elections

Main article: 2011 Jamaican general election

On 5 December 2011, Mr Holness called the next election for 29 December 2011. The JLP campaigned in their strongholds and Holness highlighted the four years of JLP government with accomplishments, such as economic growth and crime reduction which the JLP says the PNP failed to do during their eighteen years rule of the country.

The JLP, however, lost the 2011 Jamaican general election to the PNP, which gained a large majority of 42 to the JLP's 21 parliamentary seats. Portia Simpson-Miller and the PNP returned to power. The voter turnout was 53.17%

2016 elections and re-appointment as Prime Minister

Main article: 2016 Jamaican general election

On 25 February 2016, the JLP, led by Andrew Holness, won the 2016 Jamaican general election winning 32 seats compared to 31 seats for the incumbent PNP. His wife Juliet also won a seat in parliament, the first time a prime minister or opposition leader and their spouse sat in the Parliament of Jamaica together.[11] As a result, Simpson-Miller became Opposition Leader for a second time. The voter turnout dipped below 50% for the first time, registering just 48.37%.

2020 elections

Main article: 2020 Jamaican general election

On 3 September 2020, Holness led the JLP to a second consecutive general election victory, but this time by a much larger margin. The JLP won 49 seats, as compared to the 14 seats for the PNP. However, the turnout was just 37%, probably affected by the coronavirus pandemic. He was sworn in for another term on 7 September 2020.