Fred Mitchell (politician)

Last updated
Fred Mitchell
HonFredMitchell.jpg
Mitchell in 2016
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Public Service
Incumbent
Assumed office
20 September 2021

Frederick Audley Mitchell Jr. (born 5 October 1953) is a Bahamian Progressive Liberal Party politician serving as Minister of Foreign Affairs for the third time. He is the Member of Parliament (MP) for Fox Hill, first elected in 2002 and then again in 2021. He also served two terms in the Senate.

Contents

Early life and education

Mitchell was born in Nassau, the eldest son of Lilla (née Forde) and Frederick A. Mitchell Sr. His maternal grandfather was Barbadian. [1] He attended Eastern Junior School, Sands School, and St. Augustine's College. He received his communications degree at Antioch University, his master's at Harvard University, [2] and his law degree at the University of Buckingham. [3]

Career

Mitchell was called to both the Bar of England and Wales and the Bar of the Bahamas. He worked in broadcasting and journalism.

Mitchell with Condoleezza Rice in 2006 Rice et Mitchell.jpg
Mitchell with Condoleezza Rice in 2006

Mitchell began his political career as a senator appointed by Free National Movement Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham in 1992. In the Senate, he was chairman of the Select Committee on Culture. He joined the Progressive Liberal Party and ran for the Fox Hill constituency in the 1997 general election. He tried again in 2002 and was elected to the Assembly. [4]

He worked as editor of The Herald, a paper of the PLP and had a column in The Bahamas Uncensored. [5] Mitchell served as Minister of Foreign Affairs in both Perry Christie governments. He chaired the CARICOM Council for Foreign and Community Relations and supported Haiti becoming a member state. He was a founding member of the Bahamas Committee on Southern Africa.

Mitchell lost his seat in the 2017 general election. Whilst out of the Assembly, he returned to the Senate as an opposition leader and PLP chairman. He regained Fox Hill in 2021 and was sworn back into his Foreign Minister post under Philip Davis. [6]

Views and public image

During his time in politics, some of his peers have accused him of "catching feelings" and being "overly emotional". [7] Mitchell has also come under criticism from socially conservative Bahamians for his support of LGBT+ rights. However he believes that he will be remembered like Nelson Mandela for his stance. [8] Although his party had no official policy regarding the monarchy until 2022, he was personally against it prior to that. [9]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "Fred Mitchell's Bahamas Week Address in Barbados "The Future Is You"". The Bahamas Weekly. 3 February 2015. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  2. ↑ "The Hon. Frederick A. Mitchell, Minister of Foreign Affairs & Immigration". The Government of The Bahamas: Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
  3. ↑ "Bahamian Society welcomes Foreign Affairs Minister". University of Buckingham. 24 May 2005.[ permanent dead link ]
  4. ↑ "Fred Mitchell's strange behaviour". The Tribune. 15 August 2013. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  5. ↑ "Fred Mitchell Uncensored" . Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  6. ↑ "The Hon. Frederick Mitchell – Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Bahamas". Archived from the original on 2022-03-16. Retrieved 2022-08-16.
  7. ↑ "Rollins: Fred Mitchell 'is an enemy of the state'". The Tribune. 6 August 2015.
  8. ↑ "Mitchell: I am criticised because of my support for gay rights". The Tribune. 19 December 2013.
  9. ↑ Smith-Cartwright, Tanya (12 March 2021). "Is it time to dump the queen?". The Tribune. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
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