St James Central: Voters weigh local hopes, national stakes  

Voters in St James Central were mixed in their anticipation of the February 11 polls with calls for continuity and deeper reform. Across the constituency, residents spoke of confidence in leadership but also frustration over youth prospects, housing affordability, infrastructure upkeep and threats to the coastal environment.

Tonia Prescod of Risk Road, Fitts Village, praised the prime minister’s decisiveness and expressed confidence in the country’s direction.

“The prime minister normally thinks things through, and she’s more than capable of leading Barbados,” she said.

She credited the incumbent MP, Kerrie Symmonds, with inclusive service, youth programmes and community upgrades including lighting, training initiatives and sports facilities. Reflecting on the death of her 19‑year‑old son last year, she said he offered personal comfort beyond politics.

“He did not call me as a representative. He called me as a parent to another parent,” she said.

But Prescod stressed the need for expanded skills training, mentorship programmes and structured youth engagement to prevent young people from falling into trouble.

Yvette of Prior Park reflected on the frequency of elections since 2018, noting that three polls in eight years felt unusual compared with the traditional five‑year term.

While she welcomed improvements to roads and pavements, she said some internal streets still need attention. She also highlighted the value of the neighbourhood watch in maintaining safety.

“I’m thankful for the pavements because now I can walk without jumping into the grass when two vehicles are passing; it makes me feel safe,” she said. She stressed that local improvements should serve the community consistently and not be treated as “an election thing.”

Fisherfolk in Paynes Bay expressed concern over environmental challenges affecting their livelihoods. One woman, who has worked in the industry for more than 50 years, lamented that large rocks placed on the beach were preventing turtles from nesting safely.

“The turtles have to move around constantly looking for somewhere to dig their eggs, and sometimes they drop them anywhere because they are tired,” she said. She also noted drainage issues that cause turtles to fall and break their necks.

Regarding the early election, she added: “I always knew it would have been called early anyhow … you only have to listen good and apply a little common sense to know what is going on.”

Jeffrey Bam Bam Joseph reflected on the changes he has seen in St James Central over the years, noting that housing had improved but stressing that more is needed for those in lower‑income brackets.

“Housing has improved over the years, but we still need a lot of housing for those who don’t make the price range,” he said. “So we need more options for those at the bottom tier.”

Turning to youth concerns, Joseph expressed alarm at the number of young people becoming involved in negative activities.

“We’re losing too many youths to things that are going on that could be easily dealt with if the right people really look at it,” he said. 

He praised his minister for efforts to address these issues, highlighting improvements in roads and community services across the constituency.

“For my minister, he’s done his best so far, and I know that within this next term he’s guaranteed to get a lot more done,” Joseph said. “I have seen a great improvement to lots of roads within St James Central, so yes, our minister is doing a relatively good job for the time he’s been allotted. If given another term, I believe he can achieve even more.”

On the early election call, Joseph said he welcomed the move as strategically sound.

“I think it was actually a great move, so yes, I feel good about it, it was strategic,” he said.

St James Central background

St James Central is a relatively new parliamentary seat, created in the early 2000s following electoral boundary adjustments. The constituency was first contested in 2003, when Kerrie Symmonds of the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) won the seat. In 2008 and 2013, the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) candidate Edwin Hutson captured the constituency, marking a temporary shift in political representation. Symmonds regained the seat for the BLP in the 2018 general election and successfully retained it in 2022.

The Candidates

The candidates contesting St James Central in the upcoming election are Kerry Thomas of the Friends of Democracy (FOD), a businessman; Paul Gibson of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP), a pharmacist and business executive; and the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) candidate, Kerrie Symmonds, an attorney‑at‑law.