Dems face uphill battle in St James North — pundits

The resignation of Edmund Hinkson as MP for St James North has set the stage for a by-election in the western constituency that political analysts predict will be a difficult contest for the Democratic Labour Party (DLP).

Political Scientist Devaron Bruce told Barbados TODAY that although no official party nomination has been made, Hinkson has publicly backed Senator Blackman, a move that likely reflects the support of Prime Minister Mia Mottley as well.

“It would seem as though there is a deliberate attempt to secure his presence in Parliament and his long-term presence in Parliament, particularly in the Lower House as opposed to where he currently resides in the Senate,” Bruce explained. “Now that seems to be a strategy by the Barbados Labour Party, possibly regarding succession planning. He seems to be quite favoured by the prime minister, given the very prominent roles he has had thus far in a very short period of time. He’s been in the space of finance, now the Ministry of Education, and those roles have traditionally been for individuals who are more senior in Parliament. So clearly the Barbados Labour Party is gearing up not just for his election, but an election in general, I would assume.”

Bruce also suggested there may be an even broader strategy at play within the BLP, aiming to introduce new candidates in other constituencies before the official call for the next general election.

He explained: “I do anticipate that you will see a change of the guard in some of these seats. Many of the MPs have been around for some time, and we’ve seen some younger and newer faces presenting themselves to the public unofficially and officially on behalf of the Barbados Labour Party. We know that there is also some strategy as it relates to succession planning and having fresh blood. We’ve seen that several times over several elections – they’re not afraid to bring new candidates. So maybe I would expect that in the coming months you would see some change of the guard in some of the constituencies and just the general face and feel of the party.”

Peter Wickham. (FP)

Asked about the DLP’s chances of winning the seat – especially amid speculation that its spokesperson on education, Felicia Dujon, might contest the by-election – Bruce remarked: “The idea that you will place Felicia Dujon if you think that she has some political standing and electoral standing into a seat that has only been won once by the DLP would be a grave mistake.”

Political Scientist Peter Wickham echoed Bruce’s sentiments about the DLP’s lack of readiness and criticised its choice of candidate.

“It was a very poorly kept secret that Hinkson was going and that the man was likely to replace him as the candidate in that area, and I think that this is essentially now what has come to pass. What I was concerned about in this regard is more the DLP’s reaction. I felt that the DLP had ample opportunity to identify a candidate if they were going to run someone . . . they chose not to,” he said. 

“So what we have now is a knee-jerk reaction that the election is likely to be imminent, and they’ve identified Felicia Dujon. Felicia Dujon has a huge lift, it’s a constituency where the likelihood of success is very low, in which a person who is a seasoned candidate will have a challenge and they have chosen someone who has never contested an election in Barbados before.”

Wickham also raised concerns about the optics of the DLP’s potential decision, especially in light of the party’s broader track record with its female members. His remarks come in the wake of several high-profile resignations in 2024, including those of dismissed senator Tricia Watson, former senator and parliamentary secretary Irene Sandiford-Garner, and other female members. These departures were reportedly driven by allegations of the party mistreating female members, with some accusing the DLP of harbouring deeply entrenched misogynistic attitudes.

He said: “I feel that the DLP has to deal with this perception that it has no real regard for women, and this doesn’t help, because you’ve basically taken a woman who is bright, who is articulate, who is one of your leading standard bearers and you partner her in a constituency where the likelihood of success is very low. Does this speak to a change in the DLP’s attitude towards women? I think not. 

“That is the part of it that worries me. I can’t imagine that there were not other candidates that the DLP could have chosen, and perhaps save Dujon for a slightly more winnable seat or a slightly more balanced seat. To send her up there, I think is grossly unfair, in a situation where she could very well have as little as a month to prepare . . . the outcome is going to be pretty bleak.”

shamarblunt@barbadostoday.bb