Political and Constitutional History

In 1639 the first representative body was formed when elected members from among the freeholders sat as a legislative body. When in 1645 the island was divided into 11 parishes, each parish had two representatives.

The old representative form of government remained unchanged for centuries. The majority of the population was excluded from participating in public affairs because political franchise was based on ownership of land. Thus it was not until the introduction of universal adult suffrage that the political system ceased to be dominated by the planter and merchant classes. In fact the vote was not given to persons of colour until 1831 and it was another nine years before one sat in the legislature.

Political awakening of the black population was noticeable in the 1920's and crystallised in the formation of the Democratic League by Charles Duncan O'Neal. But it was after the Civil disturbances in 1937 that the modern-type political party surfaced. This first party, the Barbados Labour Party, dominated political life until 1961 when it fell to the Democratic Labour Party, a splinter group which had broken away from the Barbados Labour Party in 1955.

The Leader of the BLP, Grantley (later Sir Grantley) Adams, became the first Premier of Barbados and achieved significant social and constitutional reforms. He eventually led Barbados into a West Indian Federation in 1958 and became the first and only Prime Minister of the West Indies. This venture failed in 1962 and Barbados proceeded to full Independence on November 30, 1966 under the then Premier, Errol Walton Barrow of the Democratic Labour Party. Mr. Barrow later became the island's first Prime Minister.

The Barbados Labour Party took the reins of government again, when in the General Elections of 1976 and 1981 it was led to power by Mr. J.M.G.M. "Tom" Adams, son of Sir Grantley.

Mr. Harold Bernard "Bree" St. John, Deputy Prime Minister, took up the leadership of the Barbados Labour Party and the office of Prime Minister following the death of Mr. Adams on March 11, 1985.

In 1986 the Democratic Labour Party regained the government under the leadership of Mr. Errol Barrow. Prime Minister Barrow's death in 1987 saw his deputy, Mr. Erskine Sandiford becoming the country's fourth Prime Minister. Mr. Erskine Sandiford led the Democratic Labour Party to power in the 1991 elections. Mr. Owen Arthur led the Barbados Labour Party to victory in the 1994 elections.

Local Government

Local government was in operation for sometime until 1969. When it was introduced , each parish had its own local government system called the Vestry. The vestries were later abolished and the island divided into three areas - two districts served by councils and the third, the City of Bridgetown was given a City Council and a Mayor.

In 1967 the councils were abolished and local government affairs were administered by an Interim Commissioner for Local Government. Two years later the system ended, when the functions of the local government service were transferred to central government and statutory boards.