House of Assembly of Barbados

House of Assembly
Type
Type	Lower house of the Parliament of Barbados
History
Founded	26 June 1639;386 years ago (1639-06-26)
Leadership
Speaker	Arthur E. Holder, BLP since 5 June 2018
Prime Minister	Mia Mottley, BLP since 25 May 2018
Leader of the Opposition	Vacant since 11 February 2026
Structure
House of Assembly political groups	Government (30)   BLP (30)
Elections
House of Assembly voting system	First-past-the-post
Last House of Assembly election	11 February 2026
Next House of Assembly election	By 2031
Meeting place
House of Assembly chamber Bridgetown, St. Michael, Barbados
Website
The House of Assembly

The House of Assembly of Barbados is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Barbados. It has 30 Members of Parliament (MPs), who are directly elected in single member constituencies using the simple-majority (or first-past-the-post) system for a term of five years. The House of Assembly sits roughly 40–45 days a year and is presided over by a Speaker. If the Speaker elected by the Assembly is not an MP currently in the House of Assembly, that Speaker becomes the 31st member of the Assembly, having a vote on motions that are tied. ^{[1] [2]}

The Barbadian House of Assembly chamber is located in the east-wing of The Public Buildings on Broad Street, in Bridgetown, Barbados.

History

Main article: Parliament of Barbados § History

The genesis of a legislature in Barbados was introduced by Governor Henry Hawley, creating a structure of governance to Barbados, itself patterned after the Parliament of England). The then unicameral Parliament originally was tasked with establishing a system of laws and was completely under the domination of the island's planter-class. The first meeting of the Barbados Assembly was held in 22 June 1639 making it the third oldest legislature in the Americas (behind the Virginia General Assembly and Bermuda House of Assembly), and is among the oldest in the Commonwealth of Nations. ^{[3] [4] [5]}

Oath of affirmation

Under section 59 of the constitution, before entering upon the functions of his office, the MPs must take the oath of allegiance to Barbados.

Next election

The Constitution of Barbados reads, in part:

• 61(3) "...Parliament, unless sooner dissolved, shall continue for five years from the date of its first sitting after any dissolution and shall then stand dissolved."
• 62(1) "After every dissolution of Parliament the Governor General [since 30 November 2021: President] shall issue writs for a general election of members of appointment the House of Assembly returnable within ninety days from that dissolution." ^[6]

The next election is therefore due to be held in 2031, but can be held sooner if the President of Barbados so directs.

Latest elections

Main article: 2026 Barbadian general election

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Barbados Labour Party	71,109	69.83	30	0
	Democratic Labour Party	27,808	27.31	0	0
	Friends of Democracy	1,424	1.40	0	New
	People's Coalition for Progress	910	0.89	0	New
	Bajan Free Party	161	0.16	0	0
	Independents	426	0.42	0	0
Total		101,838	100.00	30	0
Source: Barbados Today [7]

Previous elections

Main article: Elections in Barbados

In previous elections the National Democratic Party (NDP), the Barbados National Party (BNP) (which previously was known as the Voter's Association, Barbados Electors Association and the Progressive Conservative Party in prior years), the West Indian National Congress Party (WINCP) and Independents also won seats besides the two big parties – the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) (earlier known as the Barbados Progressive League (BPL)) and the Democratic Labour Party (DLP). The DLP had been in opposition since 6 September 1994. Fourteen years later when they won a surprise victory of 20 seats to 10 on 15 January 2008, DLP Leader David Thompson was sworn in as the 6th Prime Minister of Barbados. Freundel Stuart was sworn in on 23 October 2010 because of the death of Prime Minister Thompson, who had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in March 2010. Two months later in May he became ill when the then acting prime minister Freundel Stuart had started, and five months later he was sworn in on 23 October as the 7th prime minister of Barbados. On 23 February 2013 he was sworn in as the 7th prime minister of Barbados by obtaining sixteen out of thirty seats. The general elections of 21 February were one of the closest elections Barbados has ever seen. On 24 May 2018, the BLP returned to power under Mia Mottley with a historic landslide victory that saw them win all 30 seats in parliament and Mottley becoming the first female prime minister and the 8th prime minister overall. ^[8] This occurred once again on the 19 January 2022 when the Mottley Administration won all 30 seats again in another landslide victory. ^[9] In February 2026, prime minister Mia Mottley won her third consecutive election victory by landslide, meaning her Barbados Labour party won again all the 30 seats in the House of Assembly. ^[10]

Election	BPL/BLP	DLP	NDP	VA/BEA/PCP/BNP	WINCP	Independents
11 February 2026	30	0
19 January 2022	30	0
24 May 2018	30	0
21 February 2013	14	16
15 January 2008	10	20
21 May 2003	23	7
20 January 1999	26	2
6 September 1994	19	8	1
21 January 1991	10	18	0
28 May 1986	3	24
18 June 1981	17	10
2 September 1976	17	7
9 September 1971	6	18
3 November 1966	8	14		2
4 December 1961	5	14		4		1
6 December 1956	15	4		3		2
13 December 1951	15			4	2	3
13 December 1948	12			9	3
November 1946	9			6	7	2
27 November 1944	8			8	8
26 January 1942	5			15		5
1940	5			19

See also

• Parliament of Barbados
• Senate of Barbados
• Politics of Barbados
• List of legislatures by country

References

1. Bradshaw, Maria (18 February 2026). "Historic change in choosing Speaker". The Nation Barbados. Retrieved 21 February 2026. Barbados is poised to mark a significant milestone in the history of its 385-year-old Parliament on Friday when a Speaker chosen from outside the House of Assembly takes office.
2. Clarke, Sherrylyn (20 February 2026). "Arthur Holder is first independently elected Speaker of the House of Assembly". The Nation Barbados. Retrieved 20 February 2026. This means there are now 31 members in the House of Assembly and as such, the independent Speaker will have a casting vote on matters that are tied.
3. "History | Electoral & Boundaries Commission". Electoral & Boundaries Commission Barbados. Archived from the original on 2024-12-02. Retrieved 2024-11-28.
4. "The House of Assembly | BARBADOSPARLIAMENT.COM". www.barbadosparliament.com. Archived from the original on 2021-11-05. Retrieved 2024-11-28.
5. "BARBADOS. (Hansard, 17 July 1939)". api.parliament.uk. Archived from the original on 2024-12-03. Retrieved 2024-11-28.
6. "Constitution of Barbados" (PDF). Government of Barbados. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 December 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
7. "Elections 2026". Barbados Today. 11 February 2026. Archived from the original on 12 February 2026. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
8. "Barbados General Election Results 2018". www.caribbeanelections.com. Archived from the original on 2019-09-12. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
9. "Another 30-0". www.nationnews.com. 2022-01-20. Archived from the original on 2022-01-20. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
10. "Barbados PM Mia Mottley sweeps back into power in third election victory". The Guardian. 12 February 2026.

Further reading

• Reports of General Elections and By-Elections Archived 2019-11-30 at the Wayback Machine , Electoral and Boundaries Commission (E&BC)
• About parliament – House of Assembly, Inter-Parliamentary Union

External links

• Official website