Opposition Leader Ralph Thorne Launches Research Teams and Vows Unity Amid Internal Conflict in DLP

Opposition Leader Ralph Thorne on Thursday ended the practice of a shadow Cabinet in the Democratic Labour Party (DLP), unveiling instead “research and policy teams” that will be tasked to speak on matters of public interest, as he also assured a resolution to the 69-year-old political institution’s internal conflict.

Thorne as Leader of the Opposition in the House of Assembly and Senators Tricia Watson and Ryan Walters, the two members he handpicked for the Upper Chamber, will now chair the teams of spokespersons on public issues.

The shadow Cabinet had been created two months ago by DLP President Dr Ronnie Yearwood before Thorne crossed the floor and claimed the sole opposition seat in the House of Assembly.

In a call for unity within the DLP, Thorne vowed that party infighting would be resolved for the sake of the country, stressing that voters deserve a strong voice in opposition to the administration.

Speaking at his first official press conference at the new Office of the Opposition Leader in Hincks Street, Bridgetown, the Christ Church South MP, who was accompanied by Senator Walters, executive assistant Dr Derek Alleyne and party members, said the DLP’s crisis, which has seen no-confidence motions and counter-motions against him, Yearwood, General Secretary Steve Blackett and the party’s executive council, needed to be resolved immediately for the good of the nation.

Thorne told reporters: “The crisis in the DLP has become a national crisis, and it has become a national crisis because people care for the Democratic Labour Party. It has reflected itself as a national crisis because people have drifted away from the government, and people in Barbados want a representative against wrongdoing in government. Having betrayed the people of Barbados – the Barbados Labour Party government – they are turning to the Democratic Labour Party, and it, therefore, hurts them that this crisis has erupted. We feel that we must resolve it. We know that we must resolve it.”

He revealed that the party’s shadow Cabinet, unveiled by Yearwood in February, will be “reshaped” to help strengthen the voices of the party in the Lower and Upper Houses of Parliament.

Thorne explained: “We have three parliamentarians – one in the House of Assembly, and two in the Senate. I don’t necessarily believe in the concept of a shadow Cabinet; sometimes I think it is pompous, it is pretentious, and if we are going to be accusing the government as we still are of having a Cabinet that is too large, I don’t think it suits our purpose. Indeed, I think it is contrary for us . . . if there are 27 ministers, to take up 27 of our people and say ‘oh, you shadow this one and you shadow that one’.

“We propose to divide all areas of government between the three of us – myself and the two senators. Each of us will be a chairperson over those portfolios, and those portfolios will be extended to spokespersons across the party – candidates, potential candidates, persons of interest, supporters of the Democratic Labour Party, professionals, [and] specialists in the areas.”