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Caribbean Islands Political Dynamics
Since independence in 1966, responsibility for organizing the
government has been almost evenly divided between the two major
Barbadian parties, the DLP and BLP, which are both centrist social
democratic parties with roots in the British labor movement.
Although the BLP is perceived as somewhat more conservative than
the DLP, there has been relatively little ideological difference.
Both parties strongly support private enterprise, but both have
undertaken large public works as a necessity in a country where
unemployment ranges between 15 and 20 percent. In foreign policy,
both the DLP and the BLP have endorsed and coordinated regional
integration initiatives. Since the 1960s, party differentiation has
been mainly in style and rhetoric and in the personalities of the
leaders.
During the first twenty years of Barbadian independence, the
DLP and BLP each ran the government for ten years. The DLP, with
its founder, Barrow, as prime minister, was the majority party from
1966 to 1976 and was returned to power in 1986. The BLP was in
power from 1976 to 1986 with J.M.G.M. "Tom" Adams as prime minister
until his sudden death in office in 1985. After Adams's death, H.
Bernard St. John became prime minister until the DLP victory in the
May 1986 election. In June 1987, a year after resuming the post of
prime minister, Barrow also died; thus, in the short space of
twenty-six months Barbados lost the two party leaders who had run
the country since 1961. Barrow was succeeded by Deputy Prime
Minister Lloyd Erskine Sandiford, a member of the House since 1971
and the holder of a number of ministerial portfolios under two
previous DLP governments.
Barrow, who has been called the "Architect of Independence,"
led the DLP from its inception in 1955 until his death in 1987.
After having completed a term as premier (the preindependence title
for prime minister) from 1961 to 1966, Barrow and the DLP were
elected to a second five-year term on the eve of independence in
November 1966. Barrow had instituted many programs in his
preindependence term of 1961-66 and continued them throughout the
DLP governments that lasted until 1976. Barrow's achievements
included free secondary education and school meals and many capital
works programs, especially public housing projects. Under his
government, the Barbados economy diversified by encouraging
tourism. Barbados joined the Caribbean Free Trade Association
(Carifta) in 1968, continuing its efforts to achieve some regional
integration, and later joined Caricom, the successor to Carifta.
During Barrow's third term (1971-76), the Barbadian economy
suffered from oil price increases and the international energy
crisis. Unemployment increased, and there was increasing worker
dissatisfaction. In 1976 the BLP, under the leadership of Tom
Adams, won the election, gaining seventeen out of twenty-four seats
in the House of Assembly. Adams was the son of BLP founder Sir
Grantley Adams, Barbados' most prominent preindependence leader.
Tom Adams was born in 1931 and, like both his father and Barrow,
had won the Barbados Scholarship (to Oxford). He had earned two
degrees in England and had been active in the British Labour Party.
When Adams returned to Barbados in 1962, the West Indies Federation
had dissolved and the BLP was a minority party. Adams went to work
as honorary secretary for the BLP and in 1966 was elected along
with his father to the House of Assembly. Adams became leader of
the BLP in 1971 after BLP leader St. John had been defeated in the
elections. In 1976 Adams led the party to victory and was elected
prime minister after a campaign focusing on the rise in
unemployment, inflation, and government waste. In his first term,
Adams managed to cut unemployment nearly in half, increase per
capita income and growth, achieve a balance of payments surplus for
three years, and expand tourism. Because of the country's economic
prosperity, the BLP government was reelected for a second term in
1981, winning seventeen out of twenty-seven seats.
Adams's second term was marked by economic problems and a major
crisis in Grenada. Inflation had begun to rise again in 1980, and
growth slowed down from its 1979 peak of 8 percent. This trend
continued, and during the early 1980s GDP declined (see Economy,
this section). The economic woes caused friction at home and with
Caribbean neighbors such as Trinidad and Tobago, a traditional
friend. In addition, the increasing size of the military forces in
Grenada and the island's failure to hold elections caused
consternation and division at the 1982 Caricom conference and
precipitated the organization of the Regional Security System
(RSS). The situation in Grenada reached a crisis in October 1983.
Adams's strong support of the United States-Caribbean intervention
included sending Barbadian police officers to join the Caribbean
Peace Force in Grenada and brought Adams and Barbados international
attention (see Foreign Relations, this section; A Regional Security
System, ch. 7). Although public opinion in Barbados supported
Adams's actions, there was concern about the possible precedent set
by military intervention. Adams continued to be a vigorous
supporter of the RSS until his death.
Deputy Prime Minister St. John succeeded Adams as BLP prime
minister in March 1985 and served in that capacity until the
elections of May 1986. St. John had been a member of the BLP since
1959, a senator from 1964 to 1966 and from 1971 to 1976, a member
of the House from 1966 to 1971, and had served as deputy prime
minister during both terms of the Adams government, holding a
number of ministerial portfolios during that time. St. John
attempted to improve the economy and mend the relationships in the
Caribbean that had been strained by the economic recession and the
Grenadian crisis. With an eye on the 1986 elections, St. John
promised tax relief, but he was unable to create a constituency
during his short time in office.
By the time of the 1986 election, unemployment in Barbados was
about 19 percent. The election campaign in May 1986 was bitter and
included accusations that the BLP was corrupt and racially biased
in favor of whites and that it favored the middle class over the
poor. The DLP promised to reduce taxes and lower the price of
utilities and gasoline and also spoke of reducing participation in
the RSS. The DLP was elected in a landslide, capturing all but
three of the twenty-seven seats and sweeping out St. John and all
but one of the BLP members elected in 1981. Barrow once again took
the position of prime minister; Henry Forde, a former attorney
general and minister of external affairs and the only BLP member
elected in 1981 to retain his seat in the House, was named leader
of the opposition.
On becoming prime minister, Barrow, in an effort to reduce
unemployment, cut taxes substantially and increased public
expenditures on roads and transport, creating a large fiscal
deficit (see Economy, this section). Barrow continued his previous
strong support for regional integration and his opposition to
apartheid. During the campaign, Barrow had declared that he would
reduce the Barbados Defence Force (BDF); however, Barbados remained
in the RSS and took part in maneuvers with the United States and
Britain.
On June 1, 1987, Barrow died of a heart attack and was
succeeded by Deputy Prime Minister Sandiford. The new prime
minister had been a member of the DLP since 1964. Elected to the
House in 1971, he was a cabinet minister in Barrow's third
administration, a senator from 1967 to 1971, and was chosen deputy
prime minister in 1986. Sandiford pledged to continue the policies
of Barrow.
Data as of November 1987
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