Type: | parliamentary |
Country: | Antigua and Barbuda |
Election Date: | 11 February 1971 |
Previous Year: | 1965 |
Next Year: | 1976 |
Seats For Election: | All 17 seats in the House of Representatives |
Majority Seats: | 9 |
Turnout: | 55.92% |
Outgoing Members: | 4th legislature of Antigua and Barbuda#Members |
Elected Members: | 5th legislature of Antigua and Barbuda#Members |
Image1: | George_Walter,_Premier_of_Antigua.jpg |
Leader1: | George Walter |
Party1: | Progressive Labour Movement |
Seats1: | 13 |
Seat Change1: | New |
Popular Vote1: | 9,761 |
Percentage1: | 57.72% |
Swing1: | New |
Leader2: | Vere Bird |
Party2: | ALP |
Seats2: | 4 |
Seat Change2: | 6 |
Popular Vote2: | 6,409 |
Percentage2: | 37.90% |
Swing2: | 47.12pp |
Premier | |
Posttitle: | Subsequent Premier |
Before Election: | Vere Bird |
Before Party: | ALP |
After Election: | George Walter |
After Party: | PLM |
General elections were held in Antigua and Barbuda on 11 February 1971.[1] They were won by the Progressive Labour Movement. PLM leader George Walter was elected Premier of Antigua, defeating the incumbent Premier Vere Bird of the Antigua Labour Party. The PLM was founded in 1967 after a split in the leadership of the Antigua Trades and Labour Union; this was its first election, as well as its first and only electoral victory.
The 1971 election marked the first change of government in the history of Antigua and Barbuda. It was the first election held in the territory since its creation as a West Indies Associated State in 1967 and the end of its period under British colonial rule. Voter turnout was 56.4%.[1]