The Caribbean Island of Barbados has announced its intention to become a republic and therefore remove Queen Elizabeth as head of state for the island. Barbados is a former British colony, which gained independence from Britain in 1966. However, Barbados’ Prime Minister Mia Mottley that now is the time to elect a Barbadian head of state.
Ms Mottley has said in a speech: “The time has come to fully leave our colonial past behind. This is the ultimate statement of confidence in who we are and what we are capable of achieving”. UNN’s Oliver Down understands that the Barbadian government wants the changes enacted in time for the 55th anniversary of their independence from Britain which is in November 2021.
However, this is not the first time a Prime Minister has expressed such wishes. In 2015, the then Prime Minister Freundel Stuart said, “We have to move from a monarchical system to a republican form of government in the very near future”.
Buckingham Palace is insistent that this is a matter for the government and people of Barbados. Should Barbados enact these changes, it would not be the first former British colony in the Caribbean to become a republic. Guyana made the decision to remove the Queen as head of state in 1970, with Trinidad and Tobago following in 1976 and Dominica in 1978. All three of these countries stayed within the Commonwealth and the current expectation is for Barbados to do the same.
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Current Affairs Correspondent | My name is Oliver Down I am 22, and a staunch brexiteer. I am a Bristolian lad who studied politics in Leicester. I believe in free speech and accurate journalism and I won’t be afraid to give you “the other side” of the story!
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