Overview

An honest, unflinching look at Jamaican politics, Chris Tufton’s grounded, accessible account of his first-hand experience in competitive party politics and in democratic governance offers a view of Jamaican politics that is rarely seen. From his political formation in high school, to his joining Young Jamaica at UWI, Mona, Tufton shares a detailed account of his involvement with the National Democratic Movement, his return to the Jamaica Labour Party and his subsequent successful run for a seat in parliament in 2007. The nuanced, reflective account of his time in office as a cabinet minister, alongside his role as a deputy leader of the JLP, gives an insider perspective on the challenges of leadership. The devastating loss of his seat by 13 votes in the 2011 elections, and the ensuing volatility of his political career, including near exile from the JLP, up until his unlikely comeback in 2016, are recounted with humility and self-awareness. In situating his own journey in the broader context of Jamaican political culture, State of Mind offers a realistic view of the weaknesses in Jamaica’s democracy, and the factors that keep Jamaica from moving forward as it ought to. Throughout his telling of the details and dynamics of the nitty-gritty of Jamaican politics, Tufton candidly shares aspects of his own life, as he grapples with the role of the church, race and colour, gender, and other controversial issues, and brings to these topics an original perspective that is likely to stir lively debate.

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Chris Tufton is a Jamaican politician and former University of the West Indies lecturer. He was elected Jamaica Labour Party Member of Parliament for St Elizabeth South Western and appointed Minister of Agriculture & Fisheries and later Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce (2007-11). He was returned to Parliament in 2016 representing St Catherine West Central and appointed Minister of Health. He also served twice as an Opposition Senator. Between his cabinet appointments, 2012-2016, Dr Tufton was co-executive director of the Caribbean Policy Research Institute (CaPRI), an independent policy think tank based at the UWI, Mona.

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