Unity Labour Party
The Unity Labour Party (ULP) is a social democratic and democratic socialistic political party in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Currently the governing party, it is led by Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves.[6]
Unity Labour Party | |
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| Leader | Ralph Gonsalves |
| Founded | 16 October 1994 |
| Ideology | Social democracy[1] Democratic socialism[2] Agrarian socialism Republicanism Anti-imperialism[3] |
| Political position | Centre-left to left-wing |
| Regional affiliation | COPPPAL (observer)[4] Foro de São Paulo (affiliate) Socialist International (1994–2014)[5] |
| Seats in the House of Assembly | 9 / 15 |
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The party is an observer of COPPPAL and an affiliate of Foro de São Paulo. From 1994 to 2014, the party was a member of Socialist International.[7]
History
The party was formed in 1994 from the merger of the Saint Vincent Labour Party and the Movement for National Unity.[6] The parties had run as an alliance in the elections earlier that year, promising voters that they would merge after the election regardless of the result.[6] In the 1998 elections they received 54.6% of the vote, but the New Democratic Party won a majority of seats. However, in the 2001 general election the ULP won its first parliamentary majority, winning twelve of the fifteen seats.[8] The party won another majority in the 2005 general election.[9] With a fall in popular support, the party was narrowly re-elected in the 2010 general election, winning 8 out of 15 elected seats in the House of Assembly of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the same taking place in the 2015 general elections.
Electoral history
House of Assembly elections
| Election | Party leader | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | Position | Government |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Ralph Gonsalves | 28,025 | 54.6% | 7 / 15 |
 4 |
 2nd |
Opposition |
| 2001 | 32,925 | 56.5% | 12 / 15 |
5 |
1st |
Supermajority government | |
| 2005 | 31,848 | 55.26% | 12 / 15 |
|
1st |
Supermajority government | |
| 2010 | 32,099 | 51.11% | 8 / 15 |
 4 |
1st |
Majority government | |
| 2015 | 34,246 | 52.28% | 8 / 15 |
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1st |
Majority government | |
| 2020 | 32,353 | 49.58% | 9 / 15 |
1 |
1st |
Majority government |
References
- Leftist Parties of the World – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Caribbean Political Parties - Unity Labour Party
- Gonsalves, Ralph E. The Political Economy of the Labour Movement in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Kingstown: Strategy Forum, Inc. (2019), p.25
- COPPPAL – Countries and Member Parties Archived 2016-10-23 at the Wayback Machine
- "Socialist international visits SVG". Searchlight. 4 March 2005. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
- Unity Labour Party Archived 28 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- "Member Parties of the Socialist International". Archived from the original on 3 May 2013. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
- General Election Results - 28 March 2001 Archived 6 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- General Election Results - 7 December 2005 Archived 24 December 2010 at the Wayback Machine
