In an emotional gathering of party members and supporters, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne has delivered a heartfelt full tribute to Mary Clare Hurst, a former senator, state minister and lifelong stalwart of the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP), who recently passed away.
Browne opened his tribute by noting that while those assembled carried heavy hearts in mourning Hurst’s passing, they also gathered to honor her decades of unwavering commitment to the ABLP and the people of the twin-island nation. Opening up about his personal connection to Hurst, Browne described her as not just a political ally, but a former schoolmate, a trusted “sister friend” and a “sister warrior” who stood by him through some of the party’s most turbulent moments.
Hurst’s affiliation with the ABLP stretched back to her childhood, Browne confirmed, and her loyalty never wavered across decades of political triumph and hardship. “She was more than a political supporter and officer of our party. She was a stalwart,” Browne emphasized, noting that Hurst embodied the ABLP’s core values: a commitment to people empowerment, good governance, poverty elimination, full employment, equal opportunity and justice for all Antiguans and Barbudans.
During her time in public office as a state minister, Browne recalled, Hurst carried out her duties with remarkable dignity, discipline and humility. She held a deeply held conviction that public service was never about personal privilege, but about responsibility to the public good, a principle she embodied in every role she undertook. Across all her assignments, she worked diligently to lift up community members and advance sustainable national development.
One of the defining tests of political loyalty comes during moments of crisis, Browne argued, when many allies step back or abandon their principles. He pointed specifically to the period after the 2023 general elections, when a number of figures distanced themselves from the ABLP amid public criticism, while Hurst stood firmly alongside the party and its leadership, never wavering in her commitment to the party’s vision of inclusive progress.
Browne specifically highlighted Hurst’s key support during the ABLP’s 2005 internal convention, a period of intense internal party struggle, where she openly backed Browne’s leadership and became his most trusted ally through the contentious process. “Over the past couple of decades, we fought and won many battles within and without the ABLP. I will miss her immensely,” Browne said.
Widely known affectionately as “Tanty” to generations of party members who she mentored and nurtured, Hurst left a mark far beyond her formal political roles. Browne praised her signature grace, quiet strength, relentless commitment to service and unshakable belief in the potential of the Antiguan and Barbudan people, traits that earned her respect across the political spectrum.
Extending the party’s deepest condolences to Hurst’s family, Browne thanked her relatives for sharing her with the entire ABLP family and the broader nation. He noted that her passing is a profound loss for all those who knew her, but that her legacy of dedication, patriotism and unwavering loyalty will continue to inspire generations of Labourites and young women pursuing careers in public life.
Closing his tribute, Browne offered a final message to his departed comrade: “You have fought the good fight. You have kept the faith. Well done thou good and faithful servant. May your legacy endure in the history of the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party and in the hearts of our people. May the soul of our fallen Comrade, Maryclare Hurst rest in eternal peace and rise in glory.”