Victorious David Thomas wants resources for Tobago

Tobago East MP-elect David Thomas wants to ensure resources are available to Tobago.

Thomas, a newcomer to politics, spoke to Newsday on April 30, two days after his historic victory in the April 28 general election.

He said, “To make anything happen, the necessary resources are critical. I would make sure that those resources are available. That is the angle I am taking – making sure that the resources are available.”

He said he has seen the development plans for the island as drafted by the current Farley Augustine-led THA.

“I think this is an excellent plan and once these resources become available, I think the execution will take place and the Tobagonians would be able to prosper and flourish in their space.”

He added: “I expect good conversations to take place; I expect mature conversations to take place; and I expect that the people external to Tobago will be able to value us and be willing to engage in constructive dialogues so that the democratic process will hold.”

He entered the race on a Tobago People’s Party (TPP) ticket, unseating the People’s National Movement’s (PNM) Ayanna Webster-Roy. Preliminary reports showed that he won with 4,473 votes, while Webster-Roy secured 2,858.

He said: “I am very humbled by this experience. I am elated – it’s just a gratifying feeling”

The results, he said, did not surprise him.

“The thing is, I’ve always said at the beginning of all this campaigning and all this screening and all that, I’ve always said if my legacy in the Tobago space cannot win me this election, then nothing else can, because I’ve been of service to the people of Tobago all my life – 40 years of service (in the TTFS).”

Webster-Roy served two consecutive terms as an MP
.

He said he was proud of his campaign.

"If you noticed my campaign, I didn’t have to one day bad talk anybody, I stayed clean and clear away from that, I asked spirited questions, but I think the way they conducted business, it presented the opportunity for me to surface and for me to bring my quality to the space and for me to really take the opportunity to present my products, present my personality, present my legacy.”

He said he remains moved by the confidence the Tobago people would have placed in him. The 62-year-old retired assistant Tobago Fire Chief described himself as a person who loves the ground.

He said he understands that politics is about people as he assured that he will give everything of himself to ensure that the people of Tobago wins. This is not just a win for him, he said, but a win for the people of Tobago as he thrives on being selfless.

"I don’t know how to be 'biggish.'

"I don’t know how to leave the ground. I don’t know how to not understand that people everywhere in the world needs the same kind of care and attention as everybody else, and that is why I am taking this opportunity. I am taking this responsibility."