Leaders say new political party will propose way forward for all Barbadians

The country’s newest political party, Conservative Barbados Leadership Party (CBL), officially introduced the core members of its leadership team on Saturday.

President Corey Beckles revealed the team during a press conference at their Strathclyde Drive headquarters in St Michael. The team includes Vice President Anthony Hinds, Assistant Vice-President Alan Springer, General Secretary Shannon Springer, and Assistant General Secretary Elvis Corbin.

Beckles emphasised the party’s proactive stance, noting, “This group of people with me today are not here as an opposition group or an opposition party. We are here as a proposition party.” 

He noted, “Therefore, we will continue to propose the way forward for all Barbadians, both at home and abroad, and to the government of Barbados. We will propose the way forward for the health and wealth of this country to be improved. We will propose the way forward for the improvement of our education system. We will propose the way forward for the improvement of our land, housing, and road system. We will propose the way forward for the development of a strong foreign policy. We will also propose the way forward for the prosperity of all Barbadians, both at home and abroad.”

Assistant Vice-President Alan Springer clarified the party’s position, stating, “We are not offering Barbados a third party; we are offering Barbados alternative leadership.” He elaborated, “We do not define ourselves, or present ourselves, as a third party. We present ourselves as an alternative leadership proposition for our beautiful country, and that is where we are going. That is what Barbados needs, and I believe that is what Barbados wants — alternative leadership.”

Beckles expressed concern about the island’s current trajectory stating, “Barbadians, there is something fundamentally wrong with the direction this country is going in, and in all honesty, has been going on during the leadership of many successive governments who have run this country since independence.” He said, “The Conservative Barbados Leadership Party is here to serve. I know you have heard these words already, but we will show that there is a difference between us and those who are here and those who have gone before us.”

Beckles assured, “We listen. We do a lot of listening to persons who are on the ground, and we know persons are disillusioned.” He maintained, “As it relates to leadership and the vision for a changing Barbados, this country is well-positioned to have another major political party.”

Confirming the need for the party Vice-President Anthony Hinds said, “Nobody has looked at domestic economic development in this country from within for the past 30 years. We have to start making money as a country ourselves. We cannot keep looking internationally, borrowing and looking for international investment. We have the infrastructure here to make money internally ourselves. What we lack is vision.”

Hinds highlighted their collaborative and specialised approach. He said, “We have got individuals with expertise in specific fields across governance to be able to answer specific questions. Every individual has their own area of expertise and that is where we will focus our attention on placing people” He added, “We are different in terms of we all come from varying backgrounds and also have a lot to offer. There is no one sitting at this table that was born with a silver spoon in their mouth. We have all had to work hard — principal values of conservatism.”

Reaffirming the party’s commitment to impactful leadership, Beckles said, “We are not here just to make laws.” He promised, “We are not just going to be talking around issues; we are going to be giving you valuable answers that you can understand.”

He also stressed the importance of youth empowerment, stating, “The direction must come from the top. They must be able to see a leader, or group of leaders, who they can look up to.”

Pledging inclusivity Beckles stated, “We will be working with all persons, from all different areas in Barbados.” (STT)