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DLP Expels President and General Secretary, Signaling Internal Conflict Escalation
Barbados' Democratic Labour Party expels president Dr Ronnie Yearwood and general secretary Steve Blackett following internal conflict and electoral defeats. Yearwood expresses surprise at the decision.
6 min read
Originally published by barbadostoday.bb (opens in new tab)
In a move that has sent shockwaves through Barbados’ political landscape, the opposition Democratic Labour Party (DLP) has expelled its president, Dr Ronnie Yearwood, and general secretary, Steve Blackett.
The decision, announced early Friday morning, followed a meeting of the DLP’s General Council, which voted to remove both leaders based on recommendations from the party’s Disciplinary Committee. The two had been suspended prior to their expulsion.
In an official statement, the DLP said: “The Council considered the report and voted to expel both Messrs Ronnie Yearwood and Steve Blackett from the party with immediate effect.”
The expulsions mark a significant escalation in the internal conflict that has plagued the DLP in recent months. The party has struggled to regain its footing since its devastating defeats in the 2018 and 2022 general elections, where it lost all 30 seats in the House of Assembly to the Mia Mottley-led Barbados Labour Party (BLP).
Speaking to Barbados TODAY, Dr Yearwood expressed surprise at the decision.
“I, like many Barbadians, woke up to the news of this supposed or purported expulsion,” he said. “I had not received any calls or messages from those claiming to be the hierarchy of the Democratic Labour Party. That should also be an indication of the basic common decency that has gone out the door.”
Dr Yearwood, who succeeded attorney-at-law Verla De Peiza as DLP president in 2022, had been seen by many as a beacon of hope for the beleaguered party. His leadership was widely viewed as a fresh start, with hopes that he would inject new energy and ideas into the organisation. He promoted the concept of “new politics” throughout his presidency.
However, his tenure has been marked by internal divisions and power struggles which escalated since Christ Church South MP Ralph Thorne crossed the floor to rejoin the DLP this year.
“My whole mantra has been about new politics,” he explained. “Unfortunately, there’s been a disturbing trend among some who reject that idea of change, that idea of newness, to do things differently. They have a disregard for rules and promote a lack of accountability and transparency.”
The expulsions have been widely criticised by party members and political observers, who see it as an attempt by the party’s old guard to retain control. Yearwood described it as “a really dark day for the party and for the country as well”, adding: “It’s a dark day for democracy because you need two functioning parties in a country, and there is no one at this present moment who, with a straight face, can claim the Democratic Labour Party is functioning the way that a political party should function.”
