Blackman eager to continue serving St James North

Moments after being formally nominated on Monday as the Barbados Labour Party’s (BLP) candidate St James North, Chad Blackman pledged to build on what he described as tangible gains made since winning the seat in the May 2025 by-election.

Blackman, who was accompanied by his parents Delvin and Jacqueline, along with dozens of supporters, said he was committed to continuing the work that began well before his first electoral victory and intensified over the past eight months. 

During the process at the Gordon Greenidge Primary School, Blackman was nominated by Grethal Smith and seconded by Cecil Applewhaite. He has appointed Christina Haynes as his election agent.

“Well, to continue the representation that I would have started in May formally, and before,” Blackman said of his mission, noting that his work in the constituency began in collaboration with his predecessor, Edmund Hinkson, to “learn the people, what they want in terms of representation, and build.”

He pointed to progress in housing, employment and small business development, noting that residents had benefited from assistance with home preparation and construction, as well as access to jobs and opportunities for entrepreneurship.

Blackman said a central plank of his campaign would be the expansion of agriculture as both a livelihood and a business opportunity within the constituency.

“St James North… has agricultural lands. It has a tourism belt,” he said. “How do you ensure that all those ecosystems can now come together to ensure that agriculture can provide a high quality of life for those in farming?”

Addressing youth development, Blackman said young people must be equipped to navigate a rapidly changing global environment, particularly as Barbados marks 60 years of Independence and five years as a Republic.

“I see myself as a conduit, and a bridge builder,” he said, adding that his international experience in Geneva and London could help connect local aspirations to global opportunities.

On the cost of living, Blackman acknowledged the pressures facing Barbadians due to global conflicts and rising import costs, but said government interventions had eased the burden and more must be done to build national resilience.