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Unity Labour Party

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Unity Labour Party
LeaderRalph Gonsalves
Founded16 October 1994; 30 years ago (1994-10-16)
IdeologyDemocratic socialism[1]
Left-wing nationalism
Anti-imperialism[2]
Republicanism
Political positionLeft-wing
Regional affiliationCOPPPAL (observer)[3]
Foro de São Paulo (affiliate)
International affiliationSocialist International (1994–2014)[4]
Seats in the House of Assembly
9 / 15

The Unity Labour Party (ULP) is a democratic socialist political party in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Currently the governing party, it is led by Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves.[5]

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.[6]

History

[edit]

The party was formed in 1994 from the merger of the Saint Vincent Labour Party and the Movement for National Unity.[5] 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.[5] In the 1998 elections they received 54.6% of the vote, but the New Democratic Party won a majority of seats. The first leader of ULP, Sir Vincent Beache, resigned after the elections, and was succeeded by Ralph Gonsalves. However, in the 2001 general election the ULP won its first parliamentary majority, winning twelve of the fifteen seats.[7] The party won another majority in the 2005 general election.[8] 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.[9]

In November 2020, Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines since 2001, made history by securing the fifth consecutive victory of his Unity Labour Party (ULP) in general election.[10]

Electoral history

[edit]

House of Assembly elections

[edit]
Election Party leader Votes % Seats +/– Position Result
1998 Vincent Beache[11] 28,025 54.60%
7 / 15
 Increase 4 Steady 2nd Opposition
2001 Ralph Gonsalves 32,925 56.49%
12 / 15
 Increase 5 Increase 1st Supermajority government
2005 31,848 55.26%
12 / 15
 Steady Steady 1st Supermajority government
2010 32,099 51.11%
8 / 15
 Decrease 4 Steady 1st Majority government
2015 34,246 52.28%
8 / 15
 Steady Steady 1st Majority government
2020 32,419 49.59%
9 / 15
 Increase 1 Steady 1st Majority government

References

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  1. ^ Caribbean Political Parties - Unity Labour Party
  2. ^ Gonsalves, Ralph E. The Political Economy of the Labour Movement in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Kingstown: Strategy Forum, Inc. (2019), p.25
  3. ^ COPPPAL – Countries and Member Parties Archived 2016-10-23 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ "Socialist international visits SVG". Searchlight. 4 March 2005. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  5. ^ a b c Unity Labour Party Archived 28 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ "Member Parties of the Socialist International". Archived from the original on 3 May 2013. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
  7. ^ General Election Results - 28 March 2001 Archived 6 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ General Election Results - 7 December 2005 Archived 24 December 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ "IFES Election Guide | Elections: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Parliament 2020". www.electionguide.org.
  10. ^ "Ralph romps to fifth straight election win in St Vincent and the Grenadines". jamaica-gleaner.com. 6 November 2020.
  11. ^ "SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES: parliamentary elections House of Assembly, 1998". archive.ipu.org.
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