There has been a “significant shift” in the way the current Nationalist Party leadership has approached certain issues, radio presenter and PN candidate David Thake told The Malta Independent.
Thake, who had been highly critical of the PN in the past, has said he intends to contest the byelection for the Parliamentary seat set to be vacated by Simon Busuttil. The former PN leader will take up the role of Secretary General of the European People’s Party (EPP), and will be moving to Brussels.
Former St Paul’s Bay mayor Graziella Galea is also in the running for Busuttil’s seat.
Should Thake be elected, he would form part of the PN’s Parliamentary Group, led by Adrian Delia.
In 2017, Thake had resigned from the St Paul’s Bay local council and sent a letter to the Opposition Leader, in which he stated; “My position as a local councillor on the PN ticket is - in my opinion - no longer tenable given my views on your suitability as leader of the PN.”
In light of this, The Malta Independent asked whether he would be comfortable working under Delia if he were to take Busuttil’s seat in parliament.
“I’m working under the Labour PM but that doesn’t mean I should emigrate just because of that. The whole idea that when one doesn’t agree, one should leave, is incorrect,” he said. “I resigned from the local council, not primarily cause of Adrian Delia per se but Adrian Delia at the time was surrounded by a group of people who behaved in a particular way. I don’t agree with it, I don’t condone it.”
He emphasised that he is critical of everything that he views as being incorrect, within all sides of the political spectrum.
Thake explained that since then he has seen a change within the party; “Two years ago, we were talking about how ‘corruption is not so important, we need to talk about bread and butter issues and we lost the election because we were talking about corruption’ and all of that. I think now there is consensus in the Nationalist Party that corruption and good governance are very important issues.”
“There has been a significant shift in the way the new leadership of the PN has approached things, and I think that shift in position needs to be recognised and taken on board,” Thake said.
He added that he does not take back anything he said in the past, but he has always remained loyal to the party. “I have remained a member of the General Council, I remained a fully paid up member of the PN for life, so I have not changed my views or perceptions of the PN in any way.”
“I remain committed to work so that the Nationalist Party – the only realistic alternative to the Labour Party in government – attracts the widest possible consensus and support. It has always been and remains my goal.”