Reifer ready to give back

After making his mark on the local, regional and international scene, former Barbados and West Indies cricketer Floyd Reifer is determined to give back to the communities where he was born and raised.

Just a day after news broke of his decision to contest the St George North by-election on a Democratic Labour Party (DLP) ticket, Reifer reintroduced himself to residents in his “hometown” of Parish Land, St. George – this time as a politician.

And, despite resounding Barbados Labour Party (BLP) victories over the past six elections, the DLP candidate is confident he can come out on top in the November 11 by-election race.

Reifer told reporters on Friday that his decision to run was influenced by numerous requests from community members.

“This is something that I always wanted to do, in terms of giving back to my community. I grew up in this community and this community has done a lot for me in terms of my development,” he said.

“As a guy that has travelled around the world, I’ve [assisted] a lot of youth around the region, internationally, and at university as well. I want to do the same thing within my community,” he explained.

However, the longtime sportsman and coach admitted that while many in the constituency know “Floyd Reifer the cricketer”, not many knew “Floyd Reifer the man” and he intended to change that. This, he said, would be one of his primary objectives as the by-election nears.

Reifer promised to elaborate on his plans for the constituency during a tour on Saturday, but expressed confidence that the transition to political representation will be seamless.

“I have done this all my life – mingling with people, not just here [in Parish Land] but all around the constituency. So that part is easy for me. As a politician, I have come as a man of the people and I have come here to serve the people,” he told journalists.

“I think my chances are good. Like anything else you do, like cricket, I go out there to win. I’ll be putting my best foot forward and [seeking] the support of everybody in the constituency,” Reifer added.

He will face Independent Senator Toni Moore, the Barbados Workers’ Union General Secretary who is running as a member of the ruling Barbados Labour Party (BLP). Leader of Solutions Barbados Grenville Phillips, Ambrose Grosvenor of the United Progressive Party (UPP), and the People’s Party for Democracy and Development (PdP) candidate David Waldron are vying for the seat as well.

The vacancy arose after the resignation of BLP Member of Parliament Gline Clarke who held the seat for 26 years.

While political party lines in favour of the BLP are said to run deep in the constituency, some in the community believe Reifer is capable of moving the needle.

“My expectation – and I feel strongly about it – is that we are going to vote Floyd. Full stop,” said Elwin Browne.

“Floyd grew up among us here. I don’t even know Toni and I’ve never seen her yet, so I am not going out of bounds and I will preach that. We’ll preach that.

“People usually vote party, and Gline had a good grip on most of the folks here, but people in this area vote party,” the elderly man added.   

Daniel Millar admitted that Reifer’s decision was an unexpected move, but said it was a good one, nevertheless.

“I don’t think he’s going to win, but I think it’s a good move for them, given that he is a younger candidate and he’s already popular in the constituency so people know him,” Millar said. “This seat was always a BLP seat and it is a stronghold for the Bees. So even with Gline Clarke gone, I think the BLP will still hold it.”

However, John Holligan, a longtime Parish Land resident believes that Clarke’s resignation as MP provided an opening for the “hometown boy”.

“We who live in this area believe that he would stand a chance, being a hometown boy as we say, and a St George man,” the bodywork specialist told reporters.

He, however, did not count out Moore and added that constituents would be looking for candidates capable of addressing infrastructural issues and a slew of youth-related issues, including unemployment.

Shop owner Thelma Browne, meantime, simply wished her “hometown boy” all the best. kareemsith@barbadostoday.bb