Watts: DLP has a good product

A long-standing member of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) strongly believes that the political party has a good chance of leading this country for a third consecutive term.

“We have a good product,” says Astor B. Watts.

 

“The Democratic Labour Party stands for equal opportunities for each one of us… Our product will make us win the general election when it’s called.”

 

Watts, 94 years old, was at the time delivering the weekly DLP lunchtime lecture at the Party’s George Street, St. Michael headquarters on Friday.

 

Speaking on the topic “The Advent of Errol W. Barrow and His Victorious Team on December 5th, 1961 and On To November 30th, 1966”, he recalled Barrow’s journey as a member of the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) to his desire to create a new political force, along with others, to form the Democratic Labour Party in 1955; then becoming Premier of Barbados in 1961 until 1966, when he then took the island into Independence becoming the first Prime Minister.

 

“Errol Barrow gradually realised that the policies which were being followed by the Barbados Labour Party, did not fit the suit he was wearing… He did not think that the Barbados Labour Party at that time was doing sufficient to benefit the underprivileged.

 

“It reached the stage that J. Cameron Tudor (Sir James Tudor), who was also a member of the BLP at that time, was not satisfied with what was happening and he resigned from that Party,” Watts recalled.

 

“Errol Barrow lived with a particular objective and view that if he was going to do something, it must be done to the best of his ability. And he also withdrew his services from the Barbados Labour Party. Errol Barrow thought that enough was enough and after moving away from the BLP, he and a group which included Frederick ‘Sleepy’ Smith, Owen T. Allder, Chrissie Brathwaite, and L.B. Brathwaite – thought of setting up a party, calling it the Democratic Labour Party.”

 

Watts told the small gathering that the ruling DLP is carrying out the wishes of their founding fathers.

 

“Errol Barrow had the vision and with the help of the Almighty was able to innovate the other members of his Party to let us do the best we can for the people of Barbados… They sat down and decided on the policy to carry Barbados through. They thought of education, housing, health, youth and a whole picture was drafted by those individuals to see Barbados through.

 

“They entered into everything to make sure that we in Barbados would be able to fill all the positions available, and allowed education to be the forefront of it all,” he said. (TL)