A former Cabinet minister has thrown his hat in the ring to contest the post of deputy leader of the Progressive Labour Party.

Lawrence Scott, who served as transport minister from October 2020 to October 2022, confirmed that he signed up to seek election to the role when the chance comes in October.

“I have been meeting with delegates for months,” Mr Scott said.

A flyer in public circulation this week also listed Michael Weeks, who was Minister of National Security until last week, as a candidate contesting the deputy leader post.

The Royal Gazette tried to call Mr Weeks yesterday evening in an effort to confirm he is vying for deputy leadership and was asked to send written questions, but there were no responses by the time of publication.

The origins or validity of the flyer could not be confirmed.

Mr Weeks was removed from his ministerial post in a Cabinet reshuffle announced by David Burt, the Premier.

He was succeeded by Ryan Robinson Perinchief, a lawyer who was also made a senator.

Asked why he made the changes only a few months before he steps down as leader of the PLP, Mr Burt said: “The people of this country expect us to be working at all points in time.

“If I make the judgment that we need a change, to ensure that we can have delivery on the promises which we gave — whether that is four months or four years — the people of this country expect work delivering all the time.”

Mr Scott, the MP for Warwick South East (Constituency 24), was sacked as the Minister of Transport in October 2022 just days after the Premier saw off a challenge from former finance minister Curtis Dickinson for party leadership.

At the time, Mr Scott said he was surprised when he was fired from his ministerial post.

He told the Gazette then: “I was surprised because I thought I was doing a good job.

“I’m not bitter. It’s politics, not Sunday school.”

In April, Mr Dickinson announced his intention to succeed Mr Burt as the next leader of the PLP.

The back bencher formally put his name forward after Jason Hayward, the Minister of Economy and Labour, announced his bid for the leadership position at the party’s Founders Day event in February.