The political analyst suspects Blackett’s suspension is a step toward ousting Yearwood

SThe suspension of Teve Blackett as general secretary of the Democratic Labor Party (DLP) was seen as a likely downfall for President Dr. Ronnie Yearwood is considered the cornerstone of “big tent” politics, said political scientist Devaron Bruce.

He also suggested that this move further strengthens the position of political leader Ralph Thorne and signals the DLP president’s loss of power.

In a surprise move, Blackett was suspended by the party’s general council late on Thursday evening while he faces an investigation into disciplinary allegations.

A general council meeting was called for late afternoon on Friday. But Barbados TODAY I was told there would be no updates after the meeting.

Although there is no confirmation, Blackett’s suspension is believed to be due to his harsh criticism of political leader Thorne in the media during a DLP meeting. The former DLP minister also proposed a motion to revoke Thorne’s membership and expel him from the party.

Bruce said that Blackett’s suspension could not be seen as a positive development for Dr. Blackett, given the Secretary-General’s strong support for his presidency. Yearwood could be viewed.

“It seems to be the demise of the Big Tent,” Bruce said Barbados TODAY on Friday. “If you remember, when Ronnie Yearwood took office in 2022, he talked about a big tent and an inclusive Democratic Labor Party…” This concept doesn’t seem to be getting very far any time soon. What appears to be an internal power struggle has now turned into something in which the DLP appears to be turning the tide. Whether the tide turns forward or backward is up to the public, but it appears that Dr. Yearwood and his supporters appear to be at risk.

“I think last night’s developments actually show signs of that. You must now start asking yourself where the party goes from here when it comes to Dr. Yearwood and (and) the suspension of Steve Blackett goes. Two of them came as a package.”

Thorne has remained silent on the issue, but Bruce stressed that the political leader has some responsibility in helping to rebuild broken bridges to bring unity back to the party.

He said: “As political leader of the party, your responsibility is, in part, to present the Democratic Labor Party, which is critical to electoral success.” Party of Viability will be unity; whether individuals perceive the party as united, given that Barbadians are unlikely to vote for a divided political party. I think it’s an important question to see where Ralph Thorne stands in this situation.

“The question arises as to whether the changing of the guard means the growth of the guard or not.”

The political analyst noted that the opposition party’s share of the popular vote only increased from 22 percent to 27 percent between the 2018 and 2022 general elections.

“Therefore, it still has a lot of work to do if it wants to win back the government. The question must be raised as to whether the exclusion of Steve Blackett and, apparently, the exclusion of Ronnie Yearwood undermines the unity of the Democratic Labor Party to where it should be.”

DLP members must be prepared to rethink their policies and domestic affairs if they want to regain the trust of a large section of the electorate, he added.

“The question arises as to whether the long-standing members of the DLP, those who… . . Whether they feel comfortable developing in a way that is inclusive and attracts new people after being with the party for a long time. The reality is that the DLP needs a sizeable list to do well electorally and politically. It requires new models, new approaches, new messaging, new policies and just a refresh of the DLP that some within the DLP may not be able to achieve (currently).” (See also page 4)

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