Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell is bringing in former Social Development Minister Delma Thomas of the former New National Party (NNP) administration into the Congress government in his first major Cabinet reshuffle since taking office 18 months ago.

An informed source told THE NEW TODAY that Thomas, the Member of Parliament for the rural St Andrew North-west constituency is to become the Minister of Health and Wellness and Religious Affairs.

The female Parliamentarian crossed the floor in May 2022 following a protracted dispute between the ex-female minister and her former political boss Keith Mitchell of NNP within months of the change of government following the June 23, 2022 general election.

Thomas told her supporters at a public meeting that Keith Mitchell slammed her for suggesting that former Agriculture Minister Peter David should succeed him as the new Political Leader of NNP following the results of the national poll.

According to the source, the biggest casualty in the Cabinet Reshuffle will be the St George North-east Member of Parliament Ron Redhead who will lose his Sports and Culture portfolio.

He said a decision has been taken by the Cabinet of Ministers and the Political arm of Congress to relieve Redhead of his Cabinet responsibilities at this time to allow him to go back to school to complete his Master’s degree.

He quoted Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell as saying that he sees Redhead as one who should be afforded the opportunity at this point in time to take care of his “personal development” in light of the fact that he is considered as a person who will be “the future of the NDC party.”

In addition, the source said the former government minister will be afforded more time to concentrate on the political work in the constituency which was once considered as a garrison for Congress under its founder leader, the late George Brizan in the 199o’s and early 2000’s under Nazim Burke before it fell into the hands of NNP in the 2013-2022 period.

The source told THE NEW TODAY that Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell has a political plan which includes making sure that certain key seats like St George North-east, St David, South St George and Carriacou & Petite Martinique will remain in the hands of NDC in any future general elections.

In the proposed Cabinet reshuffle, the new Minister of Health will be Phillip Telesford who replaces Jonathan La Crette who will now take charge of the desk at the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

The government insider stated that Minister of Economic Development Lennox Andrews will assume the responsibility of full-fledged Minister of Agriculture from Senator Adrian Thomas who is being shifted to the position of Minister of Tourism & Culture.

He also said that Sen. David Andrew will only retain the Education portfolio in the new government line-up.

Sen. Gloria Thomas will serve as the full Minister of Housing and Social Development.

Sen. Quinc Britton who failed to win the rural St Mark seat in the general election will be brought into the government for the first time to serve as a Parliamentary Secretary.

The source said that Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell will retain all of his portfolios, along with Joseph Andall (Foreign Affairs), Tevin Andrew (Carriacou & Petite Martinique Affairs), Andy Williams (Mobilisation, Implementation and Transformation), Kerryne James (Climate Resilience), Dennis Cornwall (Finance) and Sen. Claudette Joseph (Legal Affairs, Attorney General, Labour and Consumer Affairs).

THE NEW TODAY understands that the Prime Minister intends to make further and gradual changes to his Cabinet as part of a strategic move within the government and party in order to position Congress to hold onto power in the next general election.