By: Staff Writer
February 16, 2024
A prominent Caribbean political strategist says Barbados Labour Party (BLP) defector Ralph Thorne is in a prime position to help a weak Democratic Labour Party.
Peter Wickham, director of the Caribbean Development Research Services (CADRES) said that, Thorne, upon assuming the role the official Leader of the Opposition on Wednesday is in a position of “greater political influence,” after having left the BLP to strike out on his own in parliament.
Mr Thorne, who is the member of parliament for Christ Church South, has not indicated if he wishes to join the other major political party in Barbados, the Democratic Labour Party, remain independent or join a third party.
This transition comes two years after Thorne was part of the ruling Barbados Labour Party (BLP), which secured all 30 seats in the Parliament.
Thorne officially took the oath of office in the presence of President Dame Sandra Mason, signifying his commitment to his new role as the opposition leader.
Mr Wickham also said: “My sense, however, is a move to the DLP might make more sense. We have to wait to hear from him if this is his intention, but my feeling is that the DLP is in a very vulnerable position. They have no presence in parliament and he’s in a position to offer that.”
Thorne’s defection from the BLP comes as a surprise to Prime Minister Mia Mottley, who said she has no clue as to why Mr Thorne has defected and neither has the branch of Christ Church South been able to give her any indication, but nonetheless she thanks him for his service to the people of Christ Church South for the time he has served as a BLP member of parliament.
Calls to DLP leader, Dr Ronnie Yearwood, have gone unanswered but he has been quoted as saying that he will welcome anybody who shares the DLP vision for Barbados.
As the dust settles on this unexpected development, all eyes are now on Thorne, the new Leader of the Opposition. His ability to navigate the complexities of his new position will undoubtedly shape the political narrative in Barbados over the coming months and years.
In a landmark move, Mr Thorne has transitioned from being a government backbencher to leading the opposition in Barbados. This shift comes two years after the BLP’s landslide victory in the 2022 election, which saw them secure all 30 parliamentary seats.
Following his official swearing-in at the residence of the President on Monday, Mr Thorne provided a lengthy missive on why he abandoned the Mottley administration to become the new opposition leader.
A thoughtful and respected professional, Mr Thorne promised that when he is seated on the other side of the aisle on Tuesday when the House of Assembly meets, the public will hear much more from him.
While it is difficult to suggest that there is some kind of groundswell of anti-government sentiment in the country, there is an acknowledgement by the administration that the absence of an opposition party could cloud their assessment of how Barbadians are feeling.