‘Not leaving’

Neil Rowe has declared his political loyalty to the governing Barbados Labour Party, making clear that he has no plans of cutting ties and joining another party.

“I will remain and retire as a member of the Barbados Labour Party,” the embattled St Michael North West MP said on Wednesday as he gave a clear picture of his parliamentary future since he was officially stripped of his post of Deputy Speaker of the House back in January.

The government backbencher, who is facing a rape charge, declared his plans for his political future in the House of Assembly on Wednesday as he rose to speak in the Budget debate.

“I rise on behalf of the good people of St Michael North West, who I shall not betray by crossing the floor of Parliament. Who I shall not betray, Sir, in any way that would signify that I am only thinking about self and not the good people who I humbly serve,” Rowe said to loud applause from his parliamentary colleagues.

He declared: “Sir, I remain loyal to the Barbados Labour Party. Blood is thicker than water, and I was birthed within a Barbados Labour Party family, Sir, I will remain and retire as a member of the Barbados Labour Party.”

In January, Prime Minister Mia Mottley told the nation that a decision had been taken to rescind Rowe’s appointment as deputy speaker. She said the decision was taken so that Parliament could be removed from being embroiled in a member’s private issues, Rowe would remain an MP.

She said then: “In this case, there is no consideration whatsoever of anything other than the Deputy Presiding Officer of the Parliament of Barbados being involved in a private matter. It is a judgement of all of us, that he be allowed the time to allow himself to deal with this matter, and indeed to be able to ensure that his assertion of innocence is capable of being pursued. By the same token, while that is going on and he is given all of the space to do that, we have to ensure that the public business of the Parliament of Barbados, and by extension, as an arm of the Government of Barbados, can continue without, as I said, being embroiled in the private issues of a particular member. 

“There is no issue of his representation as an MP. That is a member for the people of St Michel North West that was settled. And indeed, that is not an issue in this matter at all.”

Rowe was replaced in the deputy speaker post by St Thomas MP Cynthia Forde.

Last September, Magistrate Deidre McKenna ordered that Rowe stand trial before the High Court on the charge that he had sexual intercourse with a woman on September 18, 2022, without her consent or was reckless as to whether she consented. The matter is now before the High Court, and he remains on bail.

Rowe’s stance on his future with the party also came as he gave “support and endorse” the government’s Budgetary proposals even as he hit at former BLP member Ralph Thorne, who crossed the floor of Parliament just over a month ago to become Leader of the Opposition. Thorne had also appeared as legal counsel for Rowe along with Senior Counsel Michael Lashley, a member of the Democratic Labour Party, when he was committed to stand trial in the High Court on the rape charge.

“It hurts my heart that the honourable member of Christ Church South has decided to act as Jesus and to carry the cross for the Democratic Labour party,” Rowe said. “I want the opposition to know that I will remain focused when it comes to representing the good people of St Michael West.”

He said he continued to work for his constituents and remained on top of the issues affecting them.

“I am on top of every issue that exists in my constituency, every single one, and I would never turn my back on the good people of St Michael North West. Never,” Rowe declared. (FW)