Barbados Labour Party (BLP) newcomer Corey Lane says he was caught off guard by Monday’s election announcement but he is ready to contest the polls.
The 39-year-old Lane is set to contest his first elections as a candidate for The City of Bridgetown after being highly tipped to replace the incumbent Member of Parliament for the area, Lieutenant Colonel The Most Honourable Jeffrey Bostic.
Hours after the surprise announcement by Prime Minister Mia Mottley that general elections will be held on January 19, 2022, Lane went with members of his team to reach out to residents.
Speaking to Barbados TODAY just outside the BLP’s constituency office in Nelson Street, Lane said he understood the reason behind Mottley’s decision.
“I am still shocked standing up here now. I totally understand it from the perspective that I do think that we need to unite. When I look at COVID worldwide, as a people we have to come together to fight this because this is humanity versus COVID and I think we have too many segmentations, too many divisions and a lot of them are artificial,” he said.
“At the end of the day, there is a threat to us as humans, a species, and there must be an equal response and I think humanity needs to come together, and I believe that is what we are trying to attempt here — putting Barbados under the flag and rallying together against one common enemy, which is COVID-19.”
Despite the short notice, he said he was fully engaged and ready for the challenges ahead.
“Well, for me I see this as just another step because for the last 24 years I’ve been working with the people and this is another way to work with the people, so that is why I would believe that I will be ready,” Lane said.
“For the actual elective politics now, from the party level, I am in the process of getting ready because to me this is something new. Working and serving people is not new, but working in this capacity is new so I’m getting in a state of readiness for that aspect of it…. But if elective politics is about serving people then definitely I will be ready.”
As for his chances of winning the seat and the BLP’s chances of regaining the government, Lane said he was confident of victory.
He, however, acknowledged that he would have some big “boots” to fill in replacing Bostic.
“I believe that my chances are great. At the end of the day, I leave the decision with the people. I’m not only filling great shoes but great boots coming off of Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Bostic and I believe he left an excellent wicket, not only for the constituency but for the country.
“I believe that Barbadians are very smart people. There are things that they are upset about, certain things that need to be explained to them, but at the end of the day, they do know that the BLP is the party to take them through the things that we have to navigate, especially in the next coming years.
“I believe that the decisions that we need to make and the things we need to do over the next two to three years will determine this country’s future for the next 20 to 30 years, because if we don’t settle down and if certain decisions are not made it will not augur well for Barbados going forward,” Lane maintained.
randybennett@barbadostoday.bb
