Barbados Opposition Leader Ralph Thorne's Defection Raises Concerns of Instability in Mia Mottley Administration, Says DLP Leader

Democratic Labour Party (DLP) leader Dr Ronnie Yearwood has urged Barbadians not to be sidetracked by what he regards as Barbados Labour Party (BLP) infighting, following Ralph Thorne’s crossing the floor to become Opposition Leader.

He made the remarks on Sunday at the DLP’s St John branch meeting at the St John Parish Church Hall, saying Thorne’s move, along with Dr Sonia Browne’s resignation as a minister of health at the beginning of the year, paints a clear picture of their unwillingness to serve under the Mia Mottley administration.

“[Based on] Mr Thorne’s sideway shift or movement, he obviously thought that he could no longer serve under his dear leader,” said the DLP president. “We had Dr Browne a few weeks ago resign as well because she thought she could no longer serve under her dear leader.

“I can say from what I understand, Mr Thorne, I have spoken to him before, and I have a lot of respect for him, I think he is a man of certain integrity and principles.”

He urged the public not to see the defection in isolation, but instead consider the number of ministerial changes that have occurred in recent years as indicating an unstable administration.

Dr Yearwood said: “The Minister of Education, we had two… you had Santia and you had Kay [McConney], now you got Kay and Sandra [Husbands]. Housing, three; we had George Payne, we had William Dugiud, we had Dwight Sutherland, we had Charles Griffith. Foreign Affairs, we had Jerome [Walcott], you had Kerrie [Symmonds], you had Sandra. Home Affairs [there was] Edmund [Hinkson] and Wilfred [Abrahams].

“Tourism, we had Kerrie, we had Lisa [Cummins], we had Ian [Gooding-Edghill]. Transport, we had Willian, Ian, Santia, Peter Philips. Health [there was] Jerome, Jeffory [Bostic], Ian, Sonia [and] Davidson [Ishmael]. Business – Dwight Sutherland, Kerie Symmonds, Ronald Toppin, Lisa Cummins. Energy – Wilfred Abrahams, Kerrie Symmonds, Lisa Cummins…. this is one of the most [unstable] governments that we have ever faced.”

The DLP president stressed that these numerous changes in a short period, along with the often unannounced changes made to boards and councils which were previously announced, should paint a vivid picture in citizens’ minds that all is not well.

He declared: “Why have we had so many people moving away from their Cabinet ministers in this country? Why have we had so many people leaving the government in this country? Ralph Thorne is only the most recent in the long line.

“When you dig [past] the surface and understand how many board chairs have left quietly, how many people have stepped away from key projects…. What happened to the business council, anybody remember that? You had the business council, you had the industrial council. What happened to all of these fancy councils? Where the people?”

Telling supporters not to be distracted by the movements within the BLP, he said they should instead focus on issues affecting all Barbadians, such as the cost of living.