Saint Vincent Labour Party Explained

The Saint Vincent Labour Party was a social democratic political party in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines from 1955 to 1994. It was the ruling party from 1967 to 1972 and again from 1974 until 1984.

History

The party was established in 1955.[1] In the 1957 general elections it received 19.0% of the vote, putting it in second place, but failed to win a seat.[2] In the 1961 elections the party received 47.9% of the vote and three seats, losing by only 336 votes to the ruling People's Political Party, who won nine seats. In the 1966 elections they received 50.9% of the vote, but the PPP won five seats to the Labour Party's four. However, early elections the following year saw the Labour Party increase their vote share to 53.8% and take six of the nine seats.

Despite receiving over 50% of the vote again in 1972, the elections resulted in a tie with both parties winning six seats. The sole independent candidate, James Fitz-Allen Mitchell formed a government with his former party, the PPP, and was appointed Prime Minister. However, a further set of early elections in 1974 saw the Labour Party claim 69.0% of the vote and win ten of the thirteen seats. They remained in power following the 1979 elections, but lost the 1984 elections to the New Democratic Party. In the 1989 elections the NDP won all 15 seats. The Labour Party regained two seats in the 1994 elections, and on 16 October 1994 they merged with the Movement for National Unity to form the Unity Labour Party.[3]

Party Leadership

Electoral history

House of Assembly elections

ElectionParty leaderVotes%Seats+/–PositionResult
1957Milton Cato3,74119.0%
196111,16447.9% 3 2nd
196613,93050.9% 1 2nd
196714,50153.8% 2 1st
197216,10850.4% 1st
197419,57969.0% 4 1st
197917,87654.2% 1 1st
198417,49341.5 7 2nd
1989Vincent Beache13,29030.3% 4 2nd
199412,45526.5% 2 2nd

Notes and References

  1. [Dieter Nohlen|Nohlen, D]
  2. Nohlen, pp602-604
  3. http://www.caribbeanelections.com/svg/parties/ulp.asp Unity Labour Party
  4. Web site: Gunson . Phil . Chamberlain . Greg . Thompson . Andrew . The Dictionary of Contemporary Politics of Central America and the Caribbean . Routledge . en . 22 December 2015.
  5. Web site: Lansford . Tom . Political Handbook of the World 2022-2023 . CQ Press . en . 9 June 2023.
  6. Web site: Biographical Sketch of Sir Vincent Beache - Searchlight . www.searchlight.vc . 16 August 2019.