One week after Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley announced that the nomination process will open for St Thomas and St Joseph, two constituencies soon to be vacated by longserving Barbados Labour Party (BLP) stalwarts Cynthia Forde and Attorney General Dale Marshall, respectively, Senator Gregory Nicholls has officially thrown his hat in the ring for the St Thomas nominations.
The announcement marks the start of what is expected to be one of the most closely watched internal contests as the governing party prepares to refresh its parliamentary lineup ahead of the next General Election.
St Thomas, a rural stronghold that has voted consistently for the BLP for decades, is widely regarded as one of the party’s safest seats.
Already active
However, Nicholls told the Sunday Sun that while others were now coming out of the woodwork, he had been doing the legwork for the last two years.
“It’s no secret that I have been running in St Thomas. Since the formal announcement that the sitting MP is not returning, I can now begin my campaign afresh.
“I’ve been on the ground in St Thomas for the last two and a half years and I enjoy the overwhelming support of the majority of the members of the branch and the people in St Thomas who have known me for all my life,” he said.
Nicholls added that he intends to follow the BLP’s internal democratic processes as he seeks the nod.
“The Prime Minister announced there will be a nomination. That is how the Barbados Labour Party picks its candidates – through a nomination process.
“Sometimes there’s no other candidate, but it goes to the National Council for ratification. So I am availing myself [of] that process and I am on the ground as you speak,” he said.
Forde, the veteran parliamentarian who has served the constituency for more than two decades and enjoyed strong grassroots support, has not publicly indicated her preferred successor.
Nicholls declined to speak on her behalf, but said that they share a long working history.
“I have been working with her for many, many years . . . . Every single platform in St Thomas that she has mounted . . . I have been a major part of that platform,” he said, noting his support for Forde “from the time she came in”.
While Nicholls is the first to publicly declare, he acknowledged that others were vying for the nomination in a seat seen as prized within party circles due to its electoral stability and long BLP lineage. Still, he contended that
his record of constituency involvement sets him apart.
Latecomers
“None of the other persons who are interested in St Thomas have ever canvassed in St Thomas, worked with the MP, or done anything with the branch as far as elections are concerned.
“They are now trying to introduce themselves in St Thomas for the first time,” Nicholls said.
The BLP senator pointed to his longstanding connection with the constituency, referencing his early legal work representing Melrose Cricket Club and advocating for fair treatment of local teams shortly after being called to the Bar.
“Less than six months into my law practice, I was actively involved in my community, making sure that the people from the area in which I grew up were not being unfaired,” he said, adding that Melrose Cricket Club went on to flourish in national competition.
As he ramps up campaigning, Nicholls outlined a slate of initiatives reflecting both his vision for the parish and the conversations he said he had already been having with residents, churches, youth leaders and community groups.
“We’re talking about introducing steel pan and music at some of the community centres . . . strengthening the cricket, football, netball infrastructure . . . and using the natural heritage of St Thomas and developing it in a way to build up the community tourism plan,” he said.
Senator’s plans
Plans include a weekly farmers and vendors market, community fitness spaces and targeted youth outreach through faith-based and cultural programmes.
“These are the things that have been engaged in my mind . . . creating greater opportunities for people to tap into community tourism, ecotourism and heritage tourism and building a framework for people to create some economic activity,” he said.
For Nicholls, the bid represents both a political opportunity and a personal return.
“I’m not going to disappoint the many people who have seen me grow from a young man in my 20s, when I first came into the Labour Party in 1999, to now. I’ve worked hard and I’m ready serve,” he said. (CLM)
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