Fifty-five years after the British Royal family tried (unsuccessfully) to sabotage its independence, the Caribbean Island of Barbados set to “fully leave [its] colonial past behind” and will jettison the Queen of England as it’s head of state. This will make it the fourth country in the region to do so, following Guyana (1970), Trinidad and Tobago (1976) and Dominica (1978). (1)
Prime Minister Mia Mottley will continue in her role while Dame Sandra Mason, a former jurist that has been governor-general of the island since 2018, was elected the new republic’s first president by the Barbados House and Senate on October 20th. Prime Minister Mottley remarked that “it was time to claim our full destiny,” while adding “We look forward to continuing the relationship with the British monarch…” (2)
Some have also linked the move to the “global reckoning” on race following George Floyd’s 2020 murder as well as the Windrush scandal in the UK that has put the British Empire and its legacy firmly in the crosshairs as an indication of declining global influence. (3) Yet, it has been on the eastern Caribbean Island’s agenda since the early 1970s, periodically revisited and becoming law in 2005. (4) However, Barbados will still be part of the minority in the region with Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Belize, Grenada Jamaica, St Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines retaining the British monarch as head of state. (5)
Interestingly, Barbados, along with the regional republics and constitutional monarchies will remain in the Commonwealth, that some regard as a “contemporary manifestation of the British empire” (or even “Empire 2.0”). (6) This is made more noteworthy given that the UK government is utilising the Commonwealth structures to resists reparations claims from the ‘former’ colonies. (7) Moreover, the head of the Commonwealth, Prince Charles, plans to be in Barbados to witness the transition to republic. (8)
As indicated earlier, Barbados established its route to republicanism via amendments to the constitution rather than by referendum. Indeed, a 2015 Barbados Today poll suggested that 64% preferred to keep the Elizabeth Windsor-Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (“the queen”) as its highest authority. (9) Indeed, history indicates that referendums on removing a constitutional monarchy are hard to win. (10) Nevertheless, some observers feel that Barbados’ action will trigger a “domino effect” with Jamaica and St Lucia in the frame. (11)
(1) Owen Bowcott (03/01/03) Prince’s plea to keep Barbados British. https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/jan/03/past.monarchy1; BBC News (16/09/20) Barbados to remove Queen Elizabeth as head of state. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-54174794
(2) Sharon Austin (20/10/21) Dame Sandra Mason Is First President-Elect. https://gisbarbados.gov.bb/blog/dame-sandra-mason-is-first-president-elect/
(3) Kuba Shand-Baptiste (07/10/21) Barbados removing the Queen as head of state is yet another example of ‘Global Britain’ losing its grip https://inews.co.uk/opinion/barbados-remove-queen-head-of-state-global-britain-losing-grip-1237722; Jennifer Hassan and Rick Noack (25/05/21) How George Floyd’s killing sparked a global reckoning. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/05/25/george-floyd-anniversary-global-change/
(4) Patrick Wintour (16/09/20) Caribbean island’s leader says ‘Barbadians want a Barbadian head of state’ and aims to achieve goal by November 2021. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/16/barbados-revives-plan-to-remove-queen-as-head-of-state-and-become-a-republic
(5) Ibid.
(6) Afua Hirsch (17/04/18) What is the Commonwealth if not the British Empire 2.0? https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/apr/17/commonwealth-british-empire-britain-black-brown-people
(7) Owen Bowcott and Ian Cobain (24/02/14) UK sternly resists paying reparations for slave trade atrocities and injustices. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/24/uk-resists-reparation-slavery
(8) Robert Jobson (05/11/21) Prince Charles to visit Barbados for handover event that will remove Queen as head of state. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/prince-charles-barbados-remove-queen-republic-head-of-state-b964621.html
(9) Barbados Today (25/03/15) The #Barbados Today poll results are back. A resounding NO to the PM’s call for a republic. https://www.facebook.com/BarbadosToday/photos/the-barbados-today-poll-results-are-back-a-resounding-no-to-the-pms-call-for-a-r/10152865840918191/
(10) Matt Qvortrup (17/09/20) Barbados plans to remove the Queen as head of state without a referendum – is that a wise idea? https://theconversation.com/barbados-plans-to-remove-the-queen-as-head-of-state-without-a-referendum-is-that-a-wise-idea-146363
(11) Cahal Milmo (18/09/20) Barbados could cause ‘domino effect’ in removing the Queen as head – with Jamaica tipped to turn next. https://inews.co.uk/news/world/barbados-domino-effect-removing-queen-jamaica-republic-653888; Randy Bennett (13/11/21) More could follow Barbados into republicanism. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3umRD7SOUNw
we ask the question:
Barbados Republic: How will it affect the region?
1) Should there have been a referendum on the issue?
2) Did the “global reckoning” on race and Windrush scandal have any influence?
3) Is it a contradiction to get rid of the queen but remain in the commonwealth”?
4) Will becoming a republic help the case for reparations?
Our Special Guests:
Bro. Ldr. Mbandaka: Resident guest who is Spiritual Leader of the Alkebu-Lan Revivalist Movement and an Afrikan-Centred Education Consultant. Bro. Ldr is a veteran activist of almost 40 years standing, a featured columnist in The Whirlwind newspaper and author of Mosiah Daily Affirmations and Education: An African-Centred Approach To Excellence.
Baba Buddy Larrier: is a veteran organiser and Pan-Afrikanist. He was born in Barbados and lived in London for many years. He has been a campaigner for justice for several decades, especially in the areas of human rights and mental health. In 1998 he was among the architects and first staff members of the Government of Barbados Commission for Pan-African Affairs (CPAA). He is a member of the government’s Reparations Task Force established in 2012 and a co-founder and General Secretary of the Non State Actors Reparations Commission Inc. a coalition of Human Rights and Social Justice Organisations established in 2013.