Barbados Labour Party

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The Barbados Labour Party is the main opposition party of Barbados. Led by Mia Mottley, the BLP holds 10 out of 30 seats in the House of Assembly as of January 2008. It is a member of the Socialist International and considered as “moderate left of centre.”

Originally called The Barbados Progressive League, the Barbados Labour Party was founded on March 31, 1938 at the home of James Martineau. During the first meeting, Chrissie Brathwaite and Grantley Adams were elected as Chairman and Vice-Chairman. The party was the organization vehicle for the political movement brought on by the unrest of 1937 and which ultimately resulted in a peaceful transfer of power. The objectives of the founders included adult suffrage, free education, and better housing and health care. It first participated in general elections in 1940. In 1994 Owen Arthur became the Prime Minister as leader of the Barbados Labour Party.

In the 2003 elections, the BLP won 23 out of the 30 seats, (75,313 out of 135,083 total votes cast or 55.75% of the vote). The number increased to 24 in 2006 when in an almost unprecedented development, the then leader of the opposition, after a bitter and tumultuous internal battle within his own party resigned the post and joined the governing party.

The party lost power in the January 2008 general election, winning 10 seats against 20 for the Democratic Labour Party.^[1] After the election, Arthur stepped down as BLP leader and was replaced by former Deputy Prime Minister Mia Mottley, who also became Opposition Leader.^[2]

The BLP is associated with the colour red.