My winners and disappointments of 2022 goes as follows
Winners
Globally
- Senator David Pocock (Australia). Pocock, the a Zimbabean-born former Australian rugby union great back row forward, was elected to his adopted country’s upper house in June 2022 as an independent. But in no time Pocock has made a number of significant contributions in the passing of major Bills. Really impressive in the articulation of his point when speaking to the media and politicians. Rarely do we see a top sports personality transition to frontline politics in such an impressive way. Rucking brilliant. Still only 34. David Pocock on learning policy and politics as a first-time Senator – The Guardian
- Senator Penny Wong (Foreign Minister, Australia). Outstanding. Appointed in the newly elected Anthony Albanese (Labor Party) administration in June 2022. Wong has in quick fire time managed to present a positive approach to regional diplomacy which was a far cry from her predecessors from the Liberal Party. Has managed to impress the Chinese government that had shut down diplomatic relations with Australia since 2019. Wong recent completed her visit to Beijing..
- Protesters in the most unlikeliest of countries – Canada, Peru, New Zealand and in authoritarian regimes such as China, Iran, Cuba, Afghanistan, Tunisia and Russia.
- Brendan McCullum (cricket coach, England) and Ben Stokes (captain) – The turnaround in England’s form in test cricket has been both refreshing and entertaining under the innovative and win-at-all-cost leadership of these two New Zealand-born giants of the game. Game changer that many other teams will follow their approach.
- Lula (Brazil) – From prison to president of Brazil once again. Pivotal shift in Latin American geopolitics.
- Benyamin “Bibi” Netanyahu (Israel) – Lazarustic PM. Currently facing the courts over corruption but returned to power leading an even more far-right coalition government, described by one former senior govt minister as “non-Jewish” and “non-democratic”
- Penny Mordaunt (UK cabinet minister) – In January I wrote Mordaunt was someone to watch in 2022 as a possible replacement for Boris Johnson. Came twice within a whisker of doing so. Still had the biggest role of any UK frontline politician – when overseeing the ascension of King Charles – in her new role as head of the Privy Council.
- Cassidy Hutchinson (former White House Trump staff) – US Congress hearing into the January 6 riots was going on without much shock and awe disclosures from witnesses. Then the evidence from Hutchinson literally blew the lid off what was really happening in Trump world at the time of the insurrection, especially her revelation of Trump tussling with his own secret service in the Beast.
- Lionel Messi (Football, Argentina) – Feet did the talking. Hands finally on the big one in Qatar.
- Quinta Brunson (actress, writer, producer, comedian) In “Abbott Elementary” Brunson has created a comedy masterpiece and given co-star Sheryl Lee Ralph probably her best tv role yet.
- Chris Smalls and Derrick Palmer (Labour activist) – Took on Amazon and delivered the first trade union in the company.
- Sydney McLaughlin (Athlete, US) – 50.6 seconds to win the women world championship 400m hurdles was not normal.
- Josh Gerstein and Alexander Ward (Journalists, Politico, US) – Pulled off one of the great scoops when they disclosed in the spring that the US Supreme Court was on the verge of overturning Roe v Wade.
- Runako Celina and Henry Mhango (Journalists, BBC Africa Eye) Their documentary “Racism for Sale” over the exploitation of African children by certain Chinese individuals was cutting-edge reporting.
- Doug Ford (Premier of Ontario) Incumbent won an even more decisive majority at the provincial election.
- Christian Eriksen (footballer, Denmark) Suffered a cardiac arrest during a match in June 2021 and many felt his illustrious career was done. Signed for Brentford football club in the English Premier League in January and was key to the club easily avoiding relegation. Now at Manchester United and played in the recent world cup.
- Baroness Patricia Scotland (Commonwealth Secretary General) Saw off a devious effort to unseat her. Only to see days later her main schemer – Boris Johnson – fell from grace himself as PM in a most humiliating way
- Nicolas Maduro (President of Venezuela) The folly of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has made the 14% of the world’s oil reserves in Venezuela appealing once again to the West. The geopolitical shift to the left amongst key Latin American nations (e.g. Chile, Brazil & Colombia) has also eased the external pressures on Maduro.
Jamaica
- Jhaniele Fowler-(Netballer) I think her netball achievements are more appreciated by the Australian media and fans than in her home country. Flawless year of goal shooting.
- Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce (Sprinter) SAFP has taken consistent fast 100m running to unparalleled levels. The box office of sprinting in 2022.
- Mark Golding (Opposition Leader, PNP) – The stand out local political figure in 2022 despite not having the full active support from some of his frontline colleagues.
- Senator Donna Scott-Mottley (Shadow Justice Minister) – Her speech on the government’s endless use of state of emergency measures to fight crime was epic.
- Teddylee Gray (Security Guard) Union activist who has taken on the powerful private security bosses head on.
- “Sir P” (Politricks Watch) – You Tube Vlogger extraordinaire.
- Taneisha Ingleton (Head of HEART/NSTA) – Elevating vocational training to newer levels for all ages.
- Jeanette Calder (anti corruption campaigner) – Holding truth to power with data.
Disappointments, Failings & Disasters
Globally
- Liz Truss (Prime Minister, UK) – Nightmare on Downing Street for 40sh scary days.
- Kwasi Kwarteng (Finance Minister, UK) – Lasted even less than Truss. Nose-dived the British economy for generations to come with one diabolical speech.
- British Conservative Party government – 5 PMs in 6 years, 3 in 4 months. 4 Chancellors of the Exchequer in 4 months, 5 education ministers in that same period. 4 Home Secretaries including one who resigned and was replaced one week only to return a week later to the post. Gavin Williamson, Matt Hancock, Michelle Mone, Nadhim Zahawi, Suella Braverman, Neil Parish, Owen Patterson, Chris Pincher, calamitous local elections outcome, corruption, endless resignations and resurrections.. Yet in power still. Maybe they should be in the winners section.
- Scott Morrison (ex Prime Minister, Australia) – After he lost the general election in June it came out that Morrison as PM had secretly sworn himself to several ministerial portfolios without ever informing his colleagues who were in those posts to begin with.
- Ricky Skerritt (Administrator, Cricket West Indies) – Has taken West Indian male and female cricket to even lower depths that was ever possible.
- Elon Musk (Twitter) – Paying $44bn for Twitter is bonkers.
- Haitian political leadership – Catastrophic
- Boris Johnson (former UK PM) – kmt
- Kamala Harris (US Vice President)- Main reason Biden is likely to run again for POTUS?
- Western diplomacy and main stream media – Did their utmost for us to focus solely on Ukraine and ignored the atrocities elsewhere e.g. Myanmar, DRC, Haiti, Palestine, Tunisia, Horn of Africa. In March the British government allocated the BBC World Service an extra £4m for Ukraine reporting. Yet the World Service will be cutting 20% of its workforce.
- Denver Broncos owners (NFL) Signed Russell Wilson to a 5 year deal worth $240+m of which he is guaranteed $160m! Wilson is currently playing the worst of the 32 starting quarterbacks in the NFL. Playing worse than even some of the backup QBs.
Jamaica
- Lisa Hanna (Shadow Foreign Minister) – Revealed she will be walking away from frontline politics. Then again she walked away long before her announcement with a below average performance since losing to Mark Golding in the leadership race.
- Andrew Holness/Horace Chang/Antony Anderson (PM, National Security Minister, Commissioner of Police) – Despite all the restrictions of movement, PR, buzz words, bat signaling to criminals, ribbon cutting and tough talking, their stewardship in the fight against crime and violence is just amateurish and grand standing. I still cannot fathom how Chang has time to juggle his roles as national security minister and general secretary of the JLP.
- Peter Bunting (Shadow National Security Minister) – Failed to land any significant political blows on the government’s handling of crime. Not visible enough to connect effectively with the public.
- Delroy Chuck (Justice Minister)/Paula Llewelyn (DPP) – We’ve seen folks who have committed serious violent acts only to plead guilty to a lesser charge and “rewarded” with a light sentences.
- Lower house female parliamentarians of the JLP – A viral fuzzy video clip went round regarding a domestic violent incident where the alleged aggressor was said to be a politician. A number of JLP female parliamentarians were outraged and voiced their anger about the incident. Then word got out that the alleged aggressor was one of their male JLP parliamentarians. Suddenly those said female parliamentarians went silent. Even though the alleged aggressor (Mr Wright) was removed from the JLP some of those parliamentarians have since cheered his speeches in parliament.
- Jamaica Cricket Association – Their management of the game is just abysmal and uninspiring.