Chad Blackman sworn in as St James North MP

Barbados Labour Party (BLP) candidate Chad Blackman was sworn in on Thursday as the new Member of Parliament for St James North, less than 24 hours after securing a landslide victory in the by-election.

President Dame Sandra Mason administered the oath at State House, with Prime Minister Mia Mottley, Cabinet ministers, and fellow parliamentarians in attendance. Blackman’s parents, Jacqueline and Delvin Blackman, also witnessed the ceremony.

The former senator replaces veteran MP Edmund Hinkson, who resigned last month. He captured 2,723 of the 3,231 votes cast, approximately 84 per cent, to extend the BLP’s dominance in the constituency.

According to the first-time MP, his swearing-in marks an immediate attendance to parliamentary duties,  as he expects to resume work on several of the projects he championed on the campaign trail, including support services for the elderly, a tech hub and an agricultural cooperative.