Former President of the People’s National Party (PNP) Dr Peter Phillips is expressing sadness and shock at the news of the passing of party stalwart Dr Paul Robertson.

Robertson died yesterday at the St Ann’s Bay Hospital, following a brief illness.

Robertson held several positions in the leadership of the party including deputy general secretary and general secretary.

“Paul was one of the generation who completed his high school and university education in the immediate years after Jamaica’s Independence and who thereafter devoted his life to serving his country and its people,” Phillips said in a statement.

He said that the PNP president Michael Manley inspired Robertson’s lifelong devotion.

“Along with Michael and PJ Patterson, Paul as general secretary was an architect of the rebuilding of the party after its defeat in 1980. After the victory in 1989, he served in successive Cabinets most notably as Minister of Industry and Commerce and of Foreign Affairs.  He was also a successful and much beloved Member of Parliament for St Catherine South Eastern.”

Phillips hailed Robertson as a devoted patriot who continued to give national and community service even after his departure from active political life.

“Quiet and soft-spoken, he was a loyal Jamaican who served his country well. I extend condolences to his daughters and the other members of his family and friends.”

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