Former Grenada Minister for Health, Youth and Sports Jonathan La Crette has launched a new political organisation, the People’s National Party (PNP), marking his return to the political spotlight less than a year after his dismissal from the Cabinet of Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell.
In a video released on social media on Sunday, 1 June, La Crette officially announced the formation of the PNP, identifying the nutmeg symbol with seven stars in a semicircle—recently approved as the 38th official election symbol by the Lower House of Parliament—as the emblem of his new party.
The launch video, which runs for 4 minutes and 33 seconds, features iconic landmarks from around Grenada, including the St George North-West constituency. La Crette contested this seat in the 2022 general elections under the National Democratic Congress (NDC) banner. He is now preparing to run again in the same constituency, a stronghold of the New National Party (NNP) led by Dr Keith Mitchell since 1984.
In his address, La Crette spoke of the party’s commitment to building a modern political institution grounded in accountability. “This generation stands on the threshold of history, ready to embark on a journey that will reset Grenada for another 51 years and beyond. We must ensure that we build well-structured and functional political organisations with a governance model that is transparent and robust,” he said.
Without naming other members of the organisation, La Crette outlined the PNP’s priorities, including national security, education, healthcare, agriculture, youth, and sports. “A PNP-led administration will prioritise national security, education, healthcare, agriculture, youth and sports,” he said, describing the party as “a party that is inclusive, a party that listens, a party that will create policies that empower.”
La Crette was dismissed from Cabinet on 31 July 2024. While Prime Minister Mitchell did not provide detailed reasons, he told the public, “I had personally lost trust and confidence in Minister La Crette in his capacity as a Minister.” The Prime Minister declined to elaborate, saying, “I will not get involved in to the nitty-gritty of the details — they are not appropriate given the fact that it is a trust and confidence issue.”
By October 2024, La Crette had resigned from the NDC. At the time of his dismissal, Prime Minister Mitchell had stated that La Crette would remain the party’s caretaker for the St George North-West constituency.
In the 2022 General Elections, La Crette garnered 25.81% of the vote in St George North-West—an unusually strong showing for an opposition candidate in that constituency. He received 773 votes to Dr Keith Mitchell’s 2,211.
The launch of the People’s National Party adds a new dynamic to Grenada’s political landscape as the country heads toward its next general election cycle.
