Progressive Liberal Party (Bahamas)
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The Progressive Liberal Party (abbreviated PLP) is a populist and social liberal party in the Bahamas. Founded in 1953, it was the first national political party in the Bahamas. After winning the 1967 general election, the party governed from 1967 to 1992, as well as from 2002 to 2007 and 2012 to 2017.
In September 2021, the PLP defeated the ruling FNM in a snap election and Philip Davis was sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Bahamas. Davis is the current leader of the party, as both the chairman of the party and Prime Minister and leader of the party in Parliament.
History
Founding
The PLP was founded in 1953 by William Cartwright, Cyril Stevenson, and Henry Milton Taylor.<ref name="tribune">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="ng">Template:Cite news</ref> In 1953, Cartwright, who was the owner of The Bahamas Review<ref name="contribution2">Template:Cite news</ref> and Stevenson, who was a journalist at the Nassau Guardian, travelled to London to cover the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.<ref name="PLPat702">Template:Cite news</ref> While there, they met with representatives of the British Labour Party.<ref name="PLPat702" /> The pair also travelled to Jamaica where they met with members of the Jamaican Labour Party and the People's National Party.<ref name="PLPat702" />
Later that year, Stevenson and Cartwright, together with Henry Milton Taylor formed the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP).<ref name="memorial service22">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="PLPat702" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Herald7322">Template:Cite news</ref> It was the first national political party in the Bahamas.<ref name="tribune" /> Taylor became chair, Cartwright the treasurer, and Stevenson secretary-general<ref name="Herald7322" /> of the new party.<ref name=":3">Template:Cite book</ref> Lynden Pindling, a newly-qualified lawyer, returned from England a few months later and joined the nascent party.
In 1956, the PLP won one third of the popular vote and six PLP MPs were elected to the House of Assembly, the lower house of parliament.<ref name=":3" /> The "Magnificent Six," as the group of six would be called, formed the first opposition block in parliament.<ref name="memorial service2">Template:Cite news</ref> The group of six consisted of Stevenson, Pindling, Randol Fawkes, Milo Butler, Sammy Isaacs, and Clarence A. Bain.<ref name=":3" />
1967 election
In January 1967, the predominantly white United Bahamian Party (UBP) government called a snap election. Of the 38 seats contested, the ruling UBP won 18 seats and the PLP won 18 seats.<ref name="strike">Strike that stirred the nation - Tribune - 23 February 2009</ref><ref name="remembered">Majority Rule Remembered - Nassau Guardian - 11 January 2012</ref> Two independents had also been elected: Randol Fawkes, leader of the Labour Party and a former member of the PLP, and Alvin Braynen.<ref name="strike" /><ref name="remembered" /> Fawkes and Braynen threw their votes behind the PLP making it the first time that the Bahamas was run by a black government (achieving what is commonly known in the Bahamas as "majority rule").<ref name="remembered" /> Braynen became the Speaker of the House of Assembly<ref name="remembered" /> and Fawkes the Minister of Labour and Commerce.<ref name="strike" />
Leading the party to its first victory in 1967 was Pindling, who became Premier and, after independence in 1973, the country's first Prime Minister.
Through the years
The PLP would go on to govern for 25 straight years from 1967 to 1992, as well as from 2002 to 2007 and 2012 to 2017.
Perry Christie was Prime Minister of the Bahamas between 2 May 2002 and the 2007 general elections, when the party was defeated by the rival Free National Movement (FNM) which won 23 seats of the 41 seats. The FNM leader Hubert Ingraham became the Prime Minister. After defeat and one of its MPs leaving the party since, the PLP held 17 of the 41 seats in the House of Assembly.
In the 2012 general election,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the PLP won a landslide victory, taking 29 of the 38 seats in parliament.<ref name="mherald">Template:Cite news</ref> Christie was sworn into office on 8 May 2012.<ref name="mherald" /> Hubert Ingraham announced his retirement from politics following the defeat of his party.<ref name="mherald" />
The PLP loss to the FNM in the 2017 general elections.
However, in September 2021, the PLP defeated the ruling FNM in a snap election, as the economy struggled to recover from its deepest crash since at least 1971.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The PLP won 32 of the 39 seats in the House of Assembly, with the FNM took the remaining seats.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On 17 September 2021, the chairman of the PLP Philip Davis was sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Bahamas to succeed the FNM's Hubert Minnis.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Electoral results
References
External links
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