It takes a special mix of performance, accessibility, a listening ear and charm to retain your seat as a Member of Parliament (MP) for more than 40 years. According to his former constituents in San Fernando East, these are the qualities which the late Patrick Manning had. Qualities which allowed him to hold the post of San Fernando East MP from 1971 until 2015, when he formally bowed out of active politics due to ill health; he suffered a stroke in 2011.