Since gaining independence in 1981, Antigua and Barbuda have had several Prime Minsters from the political parties on the island.
Vere Cornwall Bird was the first Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda. He was one of the first pioneers who fought for the rights of the working class in Antigua during the early 1930s. His active involvement in the Antigua Trades and Labour Union (ABTLU) resulted in better conditions of work and pay, the abolition of child labour and benefits for retired workers. It was through his efforts that the political transformation of Antigua and Barbuda through the introduction of universal adult suffrage, internal self-government and independence came about.
He was appointed as the country’s first Chief Minister in 1967. In 1968 the People Labour Movement (a new party which rose up) won four seats in a by-election and by 1971 Bird was out of power which lost him his seat in the government and his parliamentary seat he had held for 25 years. A former Lieutenant, the PLM’s George Walter, became the island’s new premier.
Bird’s political exile was to last for only five years and by 1976, he regained the government, having campaigned against independence on the grounds that Antigua was not yet psychologically ready. He won the election again in 1980, this time with independence being a major campaign plank.
Under his leadership he provided improvements in the education system, including free education, free medical service, revolutionising of the country’s telecommunications infrastructure, and utilities. He also had an active part in the creation of the constitution of Antigua and Barbuda which was guaranteed human and civil rights for its citizens.
In the regional sphere he played an integral role in Caribbean unity from the period of Federation, through CARIFTA which was brought into being with efforts from the premiers of Barbados Errol Barrow and Forbes Burham of Guyana to CARICOM and was one of the signatories to the CARIFTA Agreement in 1965.
In 1994, Bird was made a Knight of the Order of the National Hero (KNH) by Antigua and Barbuda. He continued to serve as the prime minister until 1994 where he was succeeded by his son, Lester Bryant Bird. He died on 28th June 1999 at the age of 88.
Info from: Caricom
Succeeding his father as the second prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda in 1994, he was prime minister from 1994-2004. Before taking on the role as prime minister he was the chairman of the
(ALP) from 1971 to 1983.Antigua Labour Party
His political career began in 1971 when he was appointed to the Senate. He was eventually named chairman of the ALP and the leader of the opposition in the Senate when the other reigning party was in power. He continued to serve as leader of the opposition until he was elected to the House of Representatives at the 1976 elections, when the ALP returned to power. Bird joined his father’s government as Deputy Premier whilst also serving as the Minister of Economic Development, Tourism, and Energy.
After the 1981 elections, Bird was appointed as the first chairman of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States in 1982. He was then appointed chairman of OECS for a second time in 1989. ALP won both the 1994 and 1999 elections. In the 1999 elections, after being re-appointed as prime minister he elevated his older brother Vere Jr. to the cabinet as Minister of Agriculture. Bird also shuffled his own portfolios and by December 2002 held the office of Foreign Affairs, Finance, Legal Affairs, Justice, and National Security Ministries in addition to being the prime minister.
In the March 2004 election, the ALP was defeated by the United Progressive Party (UPP) led by Baldwin Spencer. The ALP lost eight seats, and Bird was defeated by Errol Cort, who became Minister of Finance in the new UPP government.
Bird remained the ALP’s political leader following the party’s 2004 defeat. He led the party in the March 2009 election however, ALP lost to UPP Bird defeated Cort by 96 votes in the St John’s Rural East constituency, where he had lost in 2004. He subsequently held the position of Leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition.
Bird was succeeded as ALP leader by Gaston Browne in December 2012, who led the party to victory in the June 2014 general election. Bird won his seat and again defeated Errol Cort. In 2014, he was made a Knight of the Order of the National Hero (KNH) by Antigua and Barbuda. He died on 9th August 2021 at the age of 88.
Info from: Wikipedia
The third prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda was Winston Baldwin Spencer who, was a prominent labour leader with the Antigua and Barbuda Workers Union. He was first elected to parliament in 1989 as the MP for the St. John’s Rural West constituency.
In 1992, Spencer played an integral role in the formation of the United Progressive Party (UPP). He previously served as a leader with the United National Democratic Party and was at the forefront of discussions and meetings with the Antigua Caribbean Liberation Movement that resulted in the formation of the United Progressive Party. Upon formation of the party, Spencer rose to become the political leader of the party and the Opposition Leader in the Parliament.
As Opposition Leader, Baldwin Spencer organized public demonstrations and went on a hunger strike to advocate for electoral reform after the criticized 1999 elections where he felt that election officials were bribed, and the election overall was unfair. His advocacy led to the formation of an independent Electoral Commission to oversee elections in Antigua and Barbuda.
In 2004, the United Progressive Party won the general election where he defeated the ALP ruled by Lester Bryant ALP, who ruled for the previous 28 years. Whilst Prime Minister, he advocated for a trio of good governance reforms, including a nationwide school meals program, raising the minimum wage, and ensuring payment for all civil servants.
During his time as prime minister, he received the highest order of Côte d’Ivoire, the Commander of the National Order. He was also recognized by the United Nations for his leadership, receiving the Millennium Development Goals Achievement Award in recognition for his work advancing the cause of international development.
In 2009, UPP won the general election with 9 out of 17 seats. Spencer himself defeated ALP candidate Gail Christian in the St John’s Rural West constituency, receiving 2,259 votes against 1,753 for Christian.
After 10 years in power, the UPP was defeated by the ALP in the general election held on 12 June 2014. Out of 17 seats, the UPP retained only three; Spencer won his seat in the re-election by a narrow margin. He was succeeded as prime minister by ALP leader Gaston Browne on 13 June 2014. Since then, the UPP party has never succeeded in re-elections and become the main party in power. In 2018, Spencer retired from the House of Representatives.
Info from: Wikipedia
Info from: Britannica
Gaston Alfonso Browne became the fourth prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda in 2014 when the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) won fourteen (14) of the seventeen (17) parliamentary seats and remains the present prime minister.
His political career began in 1999 when he was a member of Parliament representing the constituency of St. John’s City West. He was elected leader of the new ABLP in November 2012. During his early years in the party, he served as the Minister of Planning and Trade, Industry, Commerce and Public Service Affairs.
Upon his election to office, Prime Minister Browne assumed the position of Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and has served on the quasi-cabinet of CARICOM in the areas of cricket and aviation.
Before entering politics, he attended the City Banking College in the United Kingdom after completing his secondary studies where he graduated with a BSc in Banking and Finance. Later, he attended the University of Manchester, acquiring an MBA in Finance. After the start of his political career, he served as a banker for 13 years, five of which as a senior bank manager with the Swiss American International Banking Group. Gaston Browne was also a director of several private sector entities including Caribbean airline LIAT (1974) Ltd. and has been involved in real estate development and management.
Gaston Browne is well known for his philanthropic work which is seen through his contributions to the empowerment of the people of the Point and Villa areas within his Constituency. He has championed the construction of a Fishery Development Centre, a sporting and entertainment facility, an Information Communication Technology Centre, and an affordable housing scheme.
In 2014, Prime Minister Browne was awarded the Honour of Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Francis I by the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George for his humanitarian work.
In September 2022, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the honourable Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne said he would call for a referendum on becoming a republic in the next term of government, within three years. He stated that the act was not one of hostility between Antigua and Barbuda and the Monarch but was simply the final step left towards Independence to ensure that Antigua and Barbuda is truly a sovereign nation. However, he added that Antigua and Barbuda would remain a member of the Commonwealth regardless of the outcome.
Info from: cip