A new political party, Reform Barbados, has entered the island’s political landscape, positioning itself as an alternative to the two long-established parties as Barbados heads into a general election next month.
The party was officially launched on Friday by Steve Prescott, a British-born employment law consultant with Barbadian roots. Prescott said he has already attracted a small group of supporters and is now focused on recruiting candidates to contest all 30 seats in Parliament.
He confirmed that he intends to run in the upcoming election, even if he is the sole candidate representing the party at this stage. While he has not yet finalized the constituency he will contest, Prescott said it is likely to be in the Parish Land, Christ Church area, where his late father lived before migrating to the United Kingdom in the 1960s.
The launch of Reform Barbados comes as the island prepares for a general election scheduled for Wednesday, February 11, 2026. Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley announced the election date over the weekend, formally setting the stage for a national poll months ahead of the constitutional deadline, which was not due until 2027.
The announcement was made at a Barbados Labour Party (BLP) nomination meeting at Westbury Primary School, where attorney-at-law Michael Lashley, KC, was confirmed as the party’s candidate for the City constituency. With that nomination, the ruling BLP has completed its slate of candidates for all 30 seats in the House of Assembly.
To facilitate the election, Parliament will be dissolved on January 19, with Nomination Day set for January 27.
In addition to the BLP, led by Prime Minister Mottley, the main parties contesting the election include the Democratic Labour Party (DLP), led by Ralph Thorne, and the People’s Party for Democracy and Development (PdP), led by Joseph Atherley. Reform Barbados now joins the race as a new entrant seeking to broaden the political choices available to voters.
