Rudyard Spencer
Rudyard "Ruddy" Spencer, CD (born 23 February 1944) is a Jamaican former politician. A member of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), Spencer was first appointed to the Senate of Jamaica in 1993. Spencer was also a member of parliament for South East Clarendon for 18 years. He won every election he contested until his retirement from politics in February 2020.
Early life[edit]
Spencer was born on 23 February 1944 in Grange Hill, Westmoreland, Jamaica. He was educated in Medgar Evers College, City University of New York, and graduated from Cornell University with a degree in industrial relations.[1]
Career[edit]
In 1993, Spencer was appointed to the Senate of Jamaica. From 1995 to 1997, he was the Leader of the Opposition Business in the Senate.[1] From 2002 to 2020, he was a member of parliament for South East Clarendon.[2] Spencer served as the Minister of Health in Jamaica from 2007 to 2012.[3] In 2016, he was appointed as Minister of Finance and the Public Service. Spencer also directed the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions and was a member of the Caribbean Congress of Labour.[1] In February 2020, Spencer announced his retirement from electoral politics.[4] Members of both the JLP and the PNP paid tribute to Spencer for his years of service.[5] While awaiting his appointment to the Jamaican embassy in Berlin, Germany, Spencer served as deputy chairman of the Industrial Disputes Tribunal (IDT).[6]
Recognition[edit]
In 1995, Spencer was awarded the Order of Distinction (Officer Class), and promoted to Commander Class in 2014 for "more than 20 years of distinguished service to parliament".[1]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d "The Honourable Rudyard Spencer". The Ministry of National Security. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
- ^ "Ruddy Spencer calls it quits - Clarendon MP leaves representational politics". The Star. 5 February 2020.
- ^ "Ministers and Ministries" (PDF). Jamaica Information Service. November 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 February 2010. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
- ^ "'Ruddy' Spencer resigns from politics; intriguing by-election looms". Loop Jamaica. 5 February 2020.
- ^ "House of Representatives Pays Tribute To Ruddy Spencer". Jamaica Information Service. 5 February 2020. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
- ^ "Rudyard Spencer joins IDT as deputy chair". Jamaica Observer. 10 March 2020.