Mottley warns against misinformation as Nicholls wins BLP nod

Prime Minister Mia Mottley warned voters to remain vigilant against political misinformation while emphasising that the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) will stay rooted in “the will of the people” as she addressed party members in St Thomas on Sunday evening.

While speculation continues to swirl about when the prime minister will ring the bell for the next general election, her appearance at the Lester Vaughan School for the BLP’s St Thomas nomination offered a glimpse into her approach and tone.

As Senator Gregory Nicholls won the nomination to replace long-serving MP Cynthia Forde, Mottley framed the moment as one that demanded vigilance, stating that Barbados is “entering dangerous waters”.

Referring directly to comments made by Leader of the Opposition Ralph Thorne about the integrity of the electoral process, Mottley declared: “When the leader of the opposition accused this government of padding the voters’ list with non-nationals and students, we told him to put up or shut up. He is yet to provide an ounce of evidence of any kind of wrongdoing.”

She also reminded attendees that the recent enumeration exercise was routine and that two of the five members of the Electoral and Boundaries Commission are appointed on the advice of the opposition leader, saying it is “a simple process of checking to make sure that the people who are supposed to be there are on, and the people who should not be there are taken off. The process is not simply removing eligible voters from the list and no person’s name can be taken off without the opportunity for them to say ‘here I am’”.

Alongside the warning, a key focus of her address highlighted the governing party’s mandate. Mottley insisted that the BLP must remain rooted in the values that brought it into office twice. “This is a people-focused party. Our work only matters if it improves the lives of Barbadians. This is what has to guide us, not noise,” she said.

“When the people speak, the truth is that this party has made it its business to listen. What matters is that we speak always, with the people that we lead. The truth is there may be one or two instances where the party has a different perspective from the branch but 95 per cent of the time, if not more, the two coincide and this Barbados Labour Party makes it its business to meet with the candidates as required and in all these things we do so to make sure when the matter comes to National Council, we are in a position to say we have no compelling reason why the person chosen by the branch should not be the candidate of the BLP. That is how a party functions.”

The prime minister’s remarks followed outgoing St Thomas MP Cynthia Forde’s personal farewell, highlighting her long-standing service since 1970 while urging the constituency to rally around Senator Nicholls. Both Mottley and Forde praised the efforts of candidates Yearwood and Chandler, saying to them that “life does not come in a straight line”. They expressed hope that their engagement with the people of St Thomas would continue and strengthen them in the task of representing the people in whatever capacity they choose.

Mottley and Forde also praised Senator Nicholls’ patience and dedication.

Mottley said: “You have come to a situation where the people of this parish can truly say, as they did with Cynthia, that they have raised one of their own.”  (DT)