Senator Dr Shantal Munro-Knight is poised to make a strong bid for the Christ Church South seat in the next general election, according to political analyst Devaron Bruce.
The minister in the Prime Minister’s Office with responsibility for Culture, emerged as the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) candidate on Saturday defeating her opponent, Christopher Alleyne, by 135 votes to five, in a selection process held at St Christopher Primary School.
The seat was left vacant in February when Ralph Thorne crossed the floor to become opposition leader and join the Democratic Labour Party (DLP). The next general election is constitutionally due in 2027.
Bruce suggested that Munro-Knight has a solid chance of winning, given the BLP’s historical strength in the constituency.
“The prospects for her look quite good, particularly in the context of Ralph Thorne switching sides to the Dems,” he said. “The BLP has won that seat far more times than the DLP, which has only held it twice since its creation. Voters who elected a BLP representative may now be more inclined to support Munro-Knight.”
Christ Church South has been a battleground for both major political parties. Since the seat’s establishment in 1991, Sir Harold Bernard St John won it three times consecutively for the BLP, followed by a victory for Dr Jerome Walcott in 2003. The DLP claimed the seat in the next two elections, with John Boyce serving as MP, before Thorne secured back-to-back wins for the BLP from 2018.
If elected, Munro-Knight would become the first woman to represent the seat in the House of Assembly.
Bruce also commended the BLP’s efforts to promote women in politics, contrasting this with the DLP’s record.
“The BLP has been quite successful in elevating women within its ranks,” he said. “Our population and voter base are predominantly female, yet that has not translated into political representation as much as it should. The DLP, by contrast, has struggled to break away from the image of an ‘all boys’ club.”
He praised the growing presence of women in BLP leadership roles and expressed hope that this trend would continue.
“Women bring a different, less combative perspective to political discourse, which can be a good thing,” he added.
But the reaction to Senator Munro-Knight’s candidacy among Christ Church South residents remains mixed.
Rodriquez Daniel, a former soldier from Lands Down, was indifferent to the selection, expressing disillusionment with politics.
“None of the young politicians care about anybody,” he said. “Back in the day, older politicians looked out for people, gave them work, and kept violence down. Now it’s different, with guns being imported . . .it’s a different society.”
In contrast, Ryan Rollins from St Christopher expressed his admiration for Munro-Knight, recalling a personal encounter after a storm. “She called me by name after only canvassing the area for a short time. I was really impressed by that.”
Lever Kirton, who recently moved from Lower Carter’s Gap to Hopewell, described the senator as a “hometown girl” and remembered her as an impressive figure from her younger days. “She was always impressive from a young age. I remember hearing her on the call-in programme and she has a good head.”
Shawn Lorde from Christ Church East described her candidacy as a progressive step. Lorde from Breedy Land, Silver Sands, said he thought she stood a good chance, while an elderly St Christopher woman said she was excited to finally have a woman to vote for in her constituency.
sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb
