Bruce Golding

Bruce Golding is the Prime Minister of Jamaica, having taken office on September 11, 2007. He is the leader of the Jamaica Labour Party. When Golding took office it ended the 18 year tenure of the People's National Party.

Bruce Golding was born on December 5, 1947, in Clarendon, Jamaica. The son of a politician, Golding won his first campaign in 1971 for a seat in Parliament at the age of 24, becoming the youngest ever to be elected.

Bruce Golding left the Jamaica Labour Party in 1995 to help organize and found the National Democratic Movement as the third national party. It didn't last long and Golding returned to the Jamaica Labour Party in 2002. During Golding's time as the Minister of Construction, he was instrumental in many positive developments, including the construction of 25,000 new housing units and rent restriction laws reformation. The construction sector grew by 45% after a 68% drop with the previous administration.

When Golding returned to the Jamaica Labour Party in 2002, he was instrumental in establishing a Special Prosecutor to investigate and prosecute public officials who were found to be corrupt. Golding was also able to make provisions that would allow Oppositions Leaders to make statements in Parliament on the same basis as government Ministers.