In a dramatic conclusion to Barbados’ general election, the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) achieved an unprecedented third consecutive clean sweep of all 30 parliamentary constituencies. The final piece of this electoral triumph came in the early hours of Thursday morning when incumbent Neil Rowe narrowly retained the St Michael North West seat after one of the most tightly contested battles of the election.
The tense counting process extended into the night at the Ellerslie School counting center, where Rowe ultimately prevailed with 1,674 votes against Democratic Labour Party challenger Walters’ 1,441 votes and Friends of Democracy candidate Williams’ 36 votes. The declaration came at approximately 3:30 AM, sealing the BLP’s complete dominance across the island nation.
Following his victory declaration, an emotional Rowe expressed profound gratitude, stating, ‘First I wish to give God thanks for giving me the strength and resources to be victorious here tonight.’ The re-elected representative immediately shifted focus to his constituents, emphasizing, ‘This victory belongs to the good people of St Michael North West who re-elected me. I will continue to do my utmost and very best in representing them.’
When questioned about the prolonged counting process and whether he had experienced any doubt, Rowe responded with unwavering confidence: ‘I was confident—not overconfident—but I know within myself that the amount of work I have done across this constituency was sufficient for people to recognize and make that determination.’
The St Michael North West contest mirrored the broader electoral pattern across Barbados, with BLP candidates demonstrating overwhelming dominance from Bridgetown to the parishes. Prime Minister Mia Mottley’s party achieved what political analysts are calling a historic consolidation of power, unprecedented in modern Barbadian politics.