Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party

Template:Short description Template:EngvarB Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox political party Template:Politics of Antigua and Barbuda The Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) is a political party in Antigua and Barbuda. The current leader of the party is Gaston Browne, who serves as the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda. The party had previously been led by Lester Bird, who was chairman of the party since 1971, and was Prime Minister and political leader in 1994.

History

The party was founded in 1946, during the first national elections, as the Antigua Labour Party (ALP). Its founders included Vere Bird, father of Lester. The ABLP later came to be seen as a political arm of the Bird family. With the exception of five years in the 1970s, the ABLP ruled Antigua and Barbuda for over four decades leading up to 2004. It was in the opposition from 2004 to 2014, and then returned to power in the 2014 general election.

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2004 defeat

Two major events precipitated the ABLP's first defeat in 28 years in the 2004 elections. First, an Electoral Commission was introduced after the 1999 election. According to international observers, the 1999 election was rife with irregularities. The report from an observer group from across the Commonwealth concluded that "voting rolls appeared to be inflated" and recommended "the establishment of an independent electoral commission to improve the voter registration process."<ref>"US State Department Human Rights Report", 23 February 2000</ref> Second, in 2002 there was a scandal over medical benefits, in which the government failed to contribute EC$120 million to cover recipients' medical expenses.<ref>"Fraud". Miami Herald, 4 April 2002</ref>

The opposition United Progressive Party campaigned on an anti-corruption platform they called "Government in the Sunshine." The ABLP lost its majority in the general election held on 24 March 2004. It received 41.8% of the popular vote, but won only four out of 17 seats. ABLP Prime Minister and political leader Bird was also defeated in his constituency.

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Leadership crisis and transition

In early 2009, the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party faced an internal leadership crisis. There was speculation that even if the ABLP won the 2009 election, Bird's leadership would be challenged.<ref>"Who's the Leader" Da Garat, 11 January 2009Template:Unreliable source?</ref> He announced that, if the ABLP failed to win the forthcoming 2009 general election, he would step down.<ref>"Bird to call it quits if ABLP fails at polls", Antigua Sun, 30 December 2008</ref> Nevertheless, despite not winning, he remained the ABLP's leader<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> until 2012, when he was defeated by Gaston Browne in a leadership challenge.

2014 elections and return to government

The Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party won 14 of the 17 seats in the Legislature in the 2014 general elections, forming a majority government with Browne as Prime Minister. They won 15 seats in the 2018 general elections and thereby retained power.

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Ideology

Despite having been founded as a partisan expression of the labour movement in Antigua and Barbuda and having labour and social democratic origins,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the party is generally considered as an economically liberal and fiscally conservative party,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> defender of a market-oriented economy and tax reductions, in particular rejecting the imposition of income tax.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, the party's policy of maintaining the public sector as the largest employer in Antigua and Barbuda during its successive governments (representing up to 40% of the workforce) has also led to the party being considered a guarantor of a "paternalistic conservatism" or "right-wing socialism."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Better source needed After the death of Elizabeth II of Antigua and Barbuda, the party went on to officially support the conversion of Antigua and Barbuda into a republic.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The party is also against an Antiguan and Barbudan federation.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Electoral results

House of Representatives

Election	Party leader	Votes	%	Seats	+/–	Position	Government
1951	Vere Bird	4,182	87.4	Template:Composition bar	New	1st	Template:Yes2
1956		5,509	86.7	Template:Composition bar	Template:Steady 0	Template:Steady 1st	Template:Yes2
1960		2,128	85.0	Template:Composition bar	Template:Increase 2	Template:Steady 1st	Template:Yes2
1965		7,275	78.9	Template:Composition bar	Template:Steady 0	Template:Steady 1st	Template:Yes2
1971		6,409	37.9	Template:Composition bar	Template:Decrease 6	Template:Decrease 2nd	Template:No2
1976		12,056	49.0	Template:Composition bar	Template:Increase 7	Template:Increase 1st	Template:Yes2
1980		12,794	58.0	Template:Composition bar	Template:Increase 2	Template:Steady 1st	Template:Yes2
1984		12,972	67.9	Template:Composition bar	Template:Increase 3	Template:Steady 1st	Template:Yes2
1989		14,207	63.9	Template:Composition bar	Template:Decrease 1	Template:Steady 1st	Template:Yes2
1994	Lester Bird	14,763	54.4	Template:Composition bar	Template:Decrease 4	Template:Steady 1st	Template:Yes2
1999		17,521	52.6	Template:Composition bar	Template:Increase 1	Template:Steady 1st	Template:Yes2
2004		16,534	41.9	Template:Composition bar	Template:Decrease 8	Template:Decrease 2nd	Template:No2
2009		19,657	46.9	Template:Composition bar	Template:Increase 3	Template:Decrease 2nd	Template:No2
2014	Gaston Browne	24,212	56.5	Template:Composition bar	Template:Increase 7	Template:Increase 1st	Template:Yes2
2018		23,063	59.24	Template:Composition bar	Template:Increase 1	Template:Steady 1st	Template:Yes2
2023		20,052	47.1	Template:Composition bar	Template:Decrease 6	Template:Steady 1st	Template:Yes2

Barbuda Council

Election		Leaders	Votes			Seats		Position	Government
			No.	%	±	No.	±
	1976	Vere Bird
	1979<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>					<ref name=":5">Template:Cite web</ref>			Template:No2
	1981								Template:No2
	1983								Template:No2
	1985								Template:No2<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
	1987								Template:No2
	1989								Template:No2
	1991/1992								Template:No2
	1993/1994								Template:No2
	1996<ref name=":5" />	Lester Bird				<ref name=":5" />		Template:Increase1st	Template:Yes2
	1997								Template:No2
	1999								Template:No2
	2001								Template:No2
	2003								Template:No2
	2005					<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>			Template:No2
	2007					<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>		2nd	Template:No2
	2009					<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":5" />			Template:No2
	2011		1,680<ref name=":1" />	48.81		<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":5" />		2nd	Template:No2
	2013	Gaston Browne	2,295<ref name=":2" />	53.51		Template:Composition bar<ref name=":2">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":0" />		Template:Increase1st	Template:Yes2
	2015					Template:Composition bar<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Increase2	Template:Steady1st	Template:Yes2
	2017		2,791<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	48.34		Template:Composition bar<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Decrease2	Template:Steady1st	Template:Yes2
	2019					Template:Composition bar	Template:Decrease4	Template:Decrease2nd	Template:No2
	2021		1,319<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	36.19		Template:Composition bar	Template:Steady2	Template:Steady2nd	Template:No2

See also

• Category:Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party politicians