Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party

Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party
Abbreviation	ABLP
Leader	Gaston Browne
Founder	V.C. Bird
Founded	18 May 1946
Ideology	Social democracy Labourism Republicanism
Political position	Centre-left
Seats in the House of Representatives	9 / 17
Seats in the Barbuda Council	2 / 11
Website
ablpantigua.com
Politics of Antigua and Barbuda Political parties Elections

Politics of Antigua and Barbuda
Executive Monarch Charles III Governor-General Sir Rodney Williams Prime Minister Gaston Browne Cabinet
Legislative Parliament Senate President House of Representatives Speaker Leader of the Opposition
Judicial Magistrates' Courts Supreme Court High Court Court of Appeal Judicial Committee of the Privy Council
Elections Recent elections General: 2014 2018 2023 Political parties
Administrative divisions Parishes and dependencies
Foreign relations Ministry of Foreign Affairs Minister: E.P. Chet Greene Diplomatic missions of / in Antigua and Barbuda Passports Visa requirements Visa policy
Barbuda Barbuda Council Chairperson Vice Chairperson Secretary
Other countries

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.

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." 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.

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.

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. He announced that, if the ABLP failed to win the forthcoming 2009 general election, he would step down. Nevertheless, despite not winning, he remained the ABLP's leader 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.

Electoral results

House of Representatives

Election	Party leader	Votes	%	Seats	+/–	Position	Government
1951	Vere Bird	4,182	87.4	8 / 8	New	1st	Majority
1956		5,509	86.7	8 / 8	0	1st	Majority
1960		2,128	85.0	10 / 10	2	1st	Majority
1965		7,275	78.9	10 / 10	0	1st	Majority
1971		6,409	37.9	4 / 17	6	2nd	Opposition
1976		12,056	49.0	11 / 17	7	1st	Majority
1980		12,794	58.0	13 / 17	2	1st	Majority
1984		12,972	67.9	16 / 17	3	1st	Majority
1989		14,207	63.9	15 / 17	1	1st	Majority
1994	Lester Bird	14,763	54.4	11 / 17	4	1st	Majority
1999		17,521	52.6	12 / 17	1	1st	Majority
2004		16,534	41.9	4 / 17	8	2nd	Opposition
2009		19,657	46.9	7 / 17	3	2nd	Opposition
2014	Gaston Browne	24,212	56.5	14 / 17	7	1st	Majority
2018		23,063	59.24	15 / 17	1	1st	Majority
2023		20,052	47.1	9 / 17	6	1st	Majority

Barbuda Council

Election		Leaders	Votes			Seats		Position	Government
			No.	%	±	No.	±
	1976	Vere Bird
	1979								BPM
	1981								BPM
	1983								BPM
	1985								ONR
	1987								BPM
	1989								BPM
	1991/1992								BPM
	1993/1994								BPM
	1996	Lester Bird						1st	Majority
	1997								BPM
	1999								BPM
	2001								BPM
	2003								BPM
	2005								BPM
	2007							2nd	BPM
	2009								BPM
	2011		1,680	48.81				2nd	BPM
	2013	Gaston Browne	2,295	53.51		6 / 11		1st	Majority
	2015					8 / 11	2	1st	Majority
	2017		2,791	48.34		6 / 11	2	1st	Majority
	2019					2 / 11	4	2nd	BPM
	2021		1,319	36.19		2 / 11	2	2nd	BPM

See also

• Category:Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party politicians