Unity Labour Party
Unity Labour Party | |
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| Leader | Ralph Gonsalves |
| Founded | 16 October 1994 |
| Ideology | Social democracy[1] Democratic socialism[2] Left-wing nationalism Labourism Agrarian socialism Republicanism Parliamentarism Socialism of the 21st century Anti-imperialism[3] |
| Political position | Centre-left to left-wing |
| Regional affiliation | COPPPAL (observer)[4] Foro de São Paulo (affiliate) |
| International affiliation | Socialist International (1994–2014)[5] |
| Seats in the House of Assembly | 9 / 15 |
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The Unity Labour Party (ULP) is a social democratic and democratic socialist political party in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Currently the governing party, it is led by Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves.[6]
The party is an observer of COPPPAL and an affiliate of Foro de São Paulo. From 1994 to 2014, the party was a member of Socialist International.[7]
History[]
The party was formed in 1994 from the merger of the Saint Vincent Labour Party and the Movement for National Unity.[6] The parties had run as an alliance in the elections earlier that year, promising voters that they would merge after the election regardless of the result.[6] In the 1998 elections they received 54.6% of the vote, but the New Democratic Party won a majority of seats. However, in the 2001 general election the ULP won its first parliamentary majority, winning twelve of the fifteen seats.[8] The party won another majority in the 2005 general election.[9] With a fall in popular support, the party was narrowly re-elected in the 2010 general election, winning 8 out of 15 elected seats in the House of Assembly of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the same taking place in the 2015 general elections and was re-elected in the 2020 general election, this time winning 9 out of 15 seats but lost the popular vote to the New Democratic Party.[citation needed]
Electoral history[]
House of Assembly elections[]
| Election | Party leader | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | Position | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Ralph Gonsalves | 28,025 | 54.6% | 7 / 15
|
 4
|
 2nd
|
Opposition |
| 2001 | 32,925 | 56.5% | 12 / 15
|
5
|
1st
|
Supermajority government | |
| 2005 | 31,848 | 55.26% | 12 / 15
|
|
1st
|
Supermajority government | |
| 2010 | 32,099 | 51.11% | 8 / 15
|
 4
|
1st
|
Majority government | |
| 2015 | 34,246 | 52.28% | 8 / 15
|
|
1st
|
Majority government | |
| 2020 | 32,353 | 49.58% | 9 / 15
|
1
|
1st
|
Majority government |
References[]
- ^ Leftist Parties of the World – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- ^ Caribbean Political Parties - Unity Labour Party
- ^ Gonsalves, Ralph E. The Political Economy of the Labour Movement in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Kingstown: Strategy Forum, Inc. (2019), p.25
- ^ COPPPAL – Countries and Member Parties Archived 2016-10-23 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Socialist international visits SVG". Searchlight. 4 March 2005. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Unity Labour Party Archived 28 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Member Parties of the Socialist International". Archived from the original on 3 May 2013. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
- ^ General Election Results - 28 March 2001 Archived 6 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ General Election Results - 7 December 2005 Archived 24 December 2010 at the Wayback Machine
External links[]
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- Labour parties
- Former member parties of the Socialist International
- Political parties in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Political parties established in 1994
- Republicanism in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Socialist parties in North America
- 1994 establishments in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines