Blackman pledges to give his all

Newly elected St James North Member of Parliament Chad Blackman has promised constituents that he would not take for granted the overwhelming support they gave him during the May 21 by-election to replace former MP Edmund Hinkson.

In his maiden presentation in the House of Assembly on Tuesday, Blackman acknowledged that to “whom much is given, much is expected”.

He told parliamentary colleagues, as well as family and friends who gathered to witness his elevation, “I want to say to the residents and constituencies in James North and to the people of Barbados, that as long as God gives me breath and I’m in this chamber, I will give yeoman, unwavering, relentless service on your behalf.”

He added, “I’ve done a lot of things at the local level, regional levels, international levels, which I’ve done pretty well. But this, to my mind, to be able to represent my fellow man in my nation, and they repose such a significant level of confidence in me, I’m humbled. Why? Because I don’t take lightly the fact that they voted in overwhelming numbers last week, 84 per cent of the vote.”

As students from the Gordon Greenidge Primary, St Albans Primary, Shirley Chisholm Primary, and Christ Church Foundation Secondary schools witnessed the event, Blackman stated, “We live in a world which requires us to ensure that as we move forward in representation, that our Parliament—the third oldest parliament in the world, that we have a duty to ensure that representation meets the changing global realities.

The 42-year-old, who is now the youngest MP in the House, showered praise on Prime Minister Mia Mottley for the confidence she placed in him, describing his political leader as “a woman who has nurtured me over the last 20 years and led me to know that public life is really about service”.

Blackman noted further: “Our generation requires of us to look ahead and forge ahead and to have a society that is underscored by a robust education system that is anchored by transformation. . . . I want to commit to everybody . . . that through my skills and working with everyone, both government and opposition, in the interest of the collective, to ensure that we can place Barbados as a nation, not just of prosperity, but a country that is anchored by Barbadian values and humility and living . . . [by] our motto of pride and industry.”

(IMC1)