Portia Simpson-Miller facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Most Honourable
Portia Simpson-Miller
ON
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Simpson-Miller in 2011
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| 7th Prime Minister of Jamaica | |
| In office 5 January 2012 – 3 March 2016 |
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| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Governor-General | Patrick Allen |
| Deputy | Peter Phillips |
| Preceded by | Andrew Holness |
| Succeeded by | Andrew Holness |
| In office 30 March 2006 – 11 September 2007 |
|
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Governor-General | Kenneth Hall |
| Preceded by | P. J. Patterson |
| Succeeded by | Bruce Golding |
| Leader of the Opposition | |
| In office 3 March 2016 – 2 April 2017 |
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| Prime Minister | Andrew Holness |
| Preceded by | Andrew Holness |
| Succeeded by | Peter Phillips |
| In office 11 September 2007 – 5 January 2012 |
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| Prime Minister | Bruce Golding Andrew Holness |
| Preceded by | Bruce Golding |
| Succeeded by | Andrew Holness |
| President of the People's National Party | |
| In office 30 March 2005 – 26 March 2017 |
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| Preceded by | P. J. Patterson |
| Succeeded by | Peter Phillips |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Portia Lucretia Simpson
12 December 1945 Wood Hall, Colony of Jamaica |
| Political party | People's National Party |
| Spouse |
Errald Miller
(m. 1998) |
| Alma mater | Union Institute and University |
Portia Lucretia Simpson-Miller ON was a very important Jamaican politician. She was born on December 12, 1945. She served as the Prime Minister of Jamaica two times: first from 2006 to 2007, and then again from 2012 to 2016.
She was also the leader of the People's National Party (PNP) from 2005 to 2017. When her party was not in power, she was the Leader of the Opposition. She held this role from 2007 to 2012 and again from 2016 to 2017.
As Prime Minister, Portia Simpson-Miller also managed other important government jobs. These included being the Minister of Defence, Development, Information, and Sports. Throughout her career, she also served as Minister of Labour, Social Security and Sport, Minister of Tourism and Sports, and Minister of Local Government.
In December 2011, her party won the general election. This made her the second person in Jamaica's history to be Prime Minister more than once. The first was Michael Manley. In the 2016 election, her party lost by a very small number of seats. After this, she stepped down from her leadership roles in 2017.
Time magazine recognized Portia Simpson-Miller as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2012. She was also named Person of the Year by two Jamaican newspapers, The Gleaner and Observer, in 2011.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Portia Lucretia Simpson was born in 1945 in Wood Hall, St Catherine, Jamaica. Her parents were Ethlyn Tulloch and Zedekiah Simpson. She once shared that her father named her after a character named Portia from William Shakespeare's play, The Merchant of Venice.
She went to Marlie Hill Primary School. This school was damaged by Hurricane Charlie in 1951 and moved to a new location. Later, she attended St Catherine High School. Her family then moved to Kingston, where she went to St Martin's High School.
In 1997, while she was a government minister, Simpson-Miller earned a degree. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration from the Union Institute & University in the United States.
Political Career
Portia Simpson-Miller began her political journey in 1974. She was elected to the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC). She represented the Trench Town West area as a councillor for the People's National Party (PNP).
In 1976, she was elected to the Parliament of Jamaica. She represented the South West St. Andrew Parish area for the PNP. She was re-elected later and held various ministerial positions. From 1989 to 1993, she was Minister of Labour, Welfare and Sports. She continued to serve in roles like Minister of Labour and Welfare, Minister of Labour, Social Security and Sports, Minister of Tourism and Sports, and Minister of Local Government and Sport.
She became the Vice President of the PNP in 1978 and held that role until 2006. In 2006, she became the president of the party. She won an election within the party to replace P. J. Patterson. She was the first PNP president to be elected with less than half of the votes from eligible party members. In 2008, she was challenged for the party presidency but was re-elected by a larger margin.
Becoming Prime Minister
Portia Simpson-Miller became Prime Minister on March 30, 2006. She took over from P. J. Patterson. This made her the first female head of government in Jamaica. She was also the third woman to lead a government in the English-speaking Caribbean. When she formed her cabinet, she also took on the role of defence minister.
2007 General Election
On September 3, 2007, Portia Simpson-Miller's party, the PNP, lost the general election. They won 27 seats, while the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) won 33 seats. After some recounts, the final result was 32 seats for the JLP and 28 for the PNP. This election ended 18 years of the PNP being in power. Bruce Golding became the new Prime Minister.
The JLP had a strong campaign that highlighted issues from the PNP's time in government. Simpson-Miller at first did not accept the defeat. She mentioned possible voting problems. However, the Organization of American States said the election was fair. She accepted the defeat on September 5. On September 11, Bruce Golding officially became Prime Minister. In 2011, Golding resigned, and Andrew Holness became the 9th Prime Minister of Jamaica.
2011 General Election
On December 5, 2011, Prime Minister Andrew Holness asked for an early election. The election was set for December 29, 2011. Many people thought the election would be very close. However, as Simpson-Miller campaigned, her party gained more support. Just before the election, Simpson-Miller spoke out in favor of LGBT rights during a TV debate.
On election day, December 29, it quickly became clear that the PNP was winning many seats. The Jamaica Observer newspaper announced that the PNP had won 41 out of 63 constituencies. The official results were announced on January 5, 2012. Portia Simpson-Miller then formed the new Jamaican government.
In the 2011 election, the number of seats in parliament had increased to 63. The PNP won a large victory with 42 seats, while the JLP won 21. About 53% of voters participated in this election.
2016 General Election
In the 2016 Jamaican general election on February 25, Portia Simpson-Miller's party lost to Andrew Holness's party by a very small difference. After a recount, the PNP gained one more seat, but still lost by just one seat. The PNP won 31 seats, and the JLP won 32. Because of this, Simpson-Miller became the Leader of the Opposition for the second time. The number of people who voted in this election was less than 50% for the first time.
After some people in her own party asked her to step down, Simpson-Miller announced on December 4, 2016, that she would not seek re-election as party leader. She was replaced by Peter Phillips on March 26, 2017. She also stepped down as a Member of Parliament in June 2017.
Political Views
Portia Simpson-Miller supports the idea of Jamaican republicanism. This means she believes Jamaica should become a republic with an elected president, instead of having the British monarch as its head of state. She had pledged to work towards this goal as part of Jamaica's 50th anniversary of independence.
During her second term as Prime Minister, Simpson-Miller became the first Jamaican head of government to openly support civil rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) citizens during an election campaign. She stated that she had no problem giving important positions to a homosexual person if they were skilled enough for the job. She believed that equality for all people in a nation is very important.
Personal Life
In 1998, Portia Simpson married Errald Miller. He was a business executive. On May 29, 2006, she received the Jamaican Order of the Nation. This honor gave her (and her husband) the title "The Most Honourable."
Portia Simpson-Miller is also known by the nicknames "Sista P" or "Mama P."
Awards and Honors
- In 2012, Time magazine named Portia Simpson-Miller one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
- In 2011, she was named Person of the Year by The Gleaner and Observer newspapers in Jamaica.
Portia Simpson-Miller is a member of the Council of Women World Leaders. This is a group of women who are current or former presidents and prime ministers from around the world.
In 2013, she was elected as vice-president of Socialist International after a meeting in South Africa.
She has also received several special university degrees called honorary doctorates:
- An honorary doctor of humane letters from Union Institute & University in 2001.
- An honorary doctor of public service from Northern Caribbean University in 2012.
- An honorary doctor of laws from the University of the West Indies in 2017.
See also
In Spanish: Portia Simpson-Miller para niños
- Cabinet of Jamaica
- Women in the House of Representatives of Jamaica
