All Saints West: Voting History Favors the ABLP in the Next Election

By: E.P. Chet Greene

The constituency of All Saints West has long been a fascinating case study in Antiguan and Barbudan politics. Its voting patterns reveal a clear preference for homegrown candidates aligned with the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP), punctuated only by brief deviations. As the next general election approaches (due by 2028), the question is not whether the ABLP can retain the seat, but rather just how decisively it will do so.

Since 1984, All Saints West has largely been an ABLP stronghold. Hilroy Humphreys, uncle of Anthony Smith, a beloved local figure, secured four consecutive victories (1984, 1989, 1994, 1999) under the ABLP banner, with commanding majorities exceeding 50% in each election . This era cemented the constituency’s loyalty to Labour, reinforcing the idea that voters here prefer candidates who are deeply rooted in the community and aligned with the party’s vision.

The brief UPP interlude in 2004 and 2009, led by Chanlah Codrington, another homegrown politician, was an anomaly, not a trend. By 2014, voters returned to their natural political home, electing Dr. Michael Browne, a young and dynamic ABLP representative, for two consecutive terms . This shift back to Labour underscores a fundamental truth that All Saints West voters may flirt with alternatives, but they consistently return to the ABLP when given a credible local candidate.

The 2023 election saw Anthony Smith win on a UPP ticket, but his victory was never truly a UPP triumph. Smith’s political DNA is ABLP through and through. His father, Anthony Smith Sr, was a former campaign manager for Dean Jonas, the former ABLP St. George representative . His defection from the UPP to the ABLP in July 2024 was therefore not a betrayal but a homecoming.

What did Smith see or hear on the campaign trail that led to his departure from the UPP? Likely, he recognized what history has shown: All Saints West voters prefer Labour-aligned leadership. His move was not just politically astute, it was inevitable.

The UPP’s decision to field Harold Lovell, a 70 year old former leader who has lost multiple elections, defies both historical trends and electoral logic . No MP has ever been elected in All Saints West at that age, and Lovell’s recent defeats, including the razor thin loss in 2023 suggest diminishing appeal .

Moreover, Lovell’s return has sparked internal UPP strife, with analysts near and far warning that his ambitions could destabilize the opposition rather than strengthen it . The UPP’s gamble on nostalgia over new energy is a misreading of the constituency’s pulse.

History does not lie. All Saints West has voted ABLP in six of the last eight elections and the two exceptions were short lived. Harold Lovell’s candidacy is a throwback to a fading era. In local parlance, the word in the street is that Lovell ‘mussa tink blow name Ferrol.’

When the next election comes, All Saints West will reaffirm its loyalty to Labour—just as it always has.

The verdict? Labour all the way!