View source for West Indies Democratic Labour Party

{{Infobox political party
| name = West Indies Democratic Labour Party
| native_name = 
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| colorcode = {{party color|West Indies Democratic Labour Party}}
| abbreviation = <!-- official abbreviation -->
| leader = [[Alexander Bustamante]]
| president = 
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| general_secretary = 
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| founder = [[Alexander Bustamante]]
| leader1_title = Parliamentary leader
| leader1_name = [[Ashford Sinanan|Ashford Sastri Sinanan]]
| slogan = 
| founded = May 1957
| dissolved = {{end date|1962|05|31}} 
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| successor = [[Caribbean Democrat Union]] (''[[de facto]]'')
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| ideology = [[Anti-communism]]<br>[[Criticism of socialism|Anti-socialism]]<ref>{{cite web |title=The Democratic Labor Party of Trinidad: an attempt at the formation of a mass party in a multi-ethnic society |url=https://ufdcimages.uflib.ufl.edu/UF/00/09/78/64/00001/democraticlaborp00malirich.pdf |website=University of Florida |accessdate=29 June 2020}}</ref><br>[[Conservatism]]<br>[[Labourism]]<br>[[Confederalism]]
| position = [[Centre politics|Centre]] to [[Centre-right politics|centre-right]]
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| state = West Indies Federation
}}
{{labour|sp=wi|expanded=parties}}
The '''West Indies Democratic Labour Party''' ('''DLP''') or '''Democrats''' was one of two Federal parties in the short-lived [[West Indies Federation]], the other being the [[West Indies Federal Labour Party|West Indies Federal Labour Party (WIFLP)]].  The party was organised by Sir [[Alexander Bustamante]] to counter the [[West Indies Federal Labour Party|WIFLP]] led by his cousin [[Norman Manley]]. In the [[1958 West Indies federal elections]], the party lost, winning 19 of the 45 seats in the [[Federal Parliament of the West Indies Federation]].

== History ==
It was founded in May 1957 and was originally composed of parties from Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Lucia a number of individuals (since unlike the WIFLP, the DLP admitted both parties and individuals). Bustamante was unanimously elected as leader of the party, while [[Ashford Sinanan]] (Trinidad), [[Victor Bryan]] (Trinidad) and [[Ebenezer Joshua]] (St. Vincent) were chosen as first, second and third deputy leaders, respectively. Other members of the executive included [[Donald Sangster]], [[Mrs. Rose Leon]], [[Morris Cargill]] (all from Jamaica) and [[Bhadase Sagan Maraj]] (Trinidad).

== Membership ==
The party was a confederation of local parties from each of the constituent territories. Generally speaking its constituent parties were the more rural based parties. Individuals (whether or not affiliated with a specific party) could be admitted.  This led to the situation wherein [[Bhadase Sagan Maraj]] as leader of the [[People's Democratic Party (Trinidad and Tobago)|People's Democratic Party]] of Trinidad was admitted as a member, but the party apparently was not. Other individuals admitted included Ashford Sinanan (also of the People's Democratic Party of Trinidad), [[Albert Gomes]] and [[Roy Josephs]].

=== Affiliated parties (incomplete) ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan="2" |[[British West Indies|Island]]
| colspan="2" bgcolor="{{party color|West Indies Democratic Labour Party}}" |'''{{White|DLP Member}}'''
|-
!Name
!abbr.
|-
| align="left" |[[File:Flag of Antigua and Barbuda (1956–1962).svg|border|30x30px]] [[Antigua and Barbuda]]
|
|
|-
| align="left" |[[File:Flag of Barbados (1870–1966).svg|border|30x30px]] [[Barbados]]
| bgcolor="#a9d4ff" |[[Democratic Labour Party (Barbados)|Democratic Labour Party]]
| bgcolor="#a9d4ff" |[[Democratic Labour Party (Barbados)|DLP]]
|-
| align="left" |[[File:Flag of Dominica (1955–1965).svg|border|30x30px]] [[Dominica]]
|
|
|-
| align="left" |[[File:Flag of Grenada (1903–1967).svg|border|30x30px]] [[Grenada]]
|
|
|-
| align="left" |[[File:Flag of Jamaica (1957–1962).svg|border|30x30px]] [[Jamaica]]
* [[File:Flag of the Cayman Islands (pre-1999).svg|border|30x30px]] [[Cayman Islands]]
* [[File:Flag of the Turks and Caicos Islands (1889–1968).svg|border|30x30px]] [[Turks and Caicos Islands]]
| bgcolor="#a9d4ff" |[[Jamaica Labour Party]]
| bgcolor="#a9d4ff" |[[Jamaica Labour Party|JLP]]
|-
| align="left" |[[File:Flag of Montserrat (1909–1960).svg|border|30x30px]] [[Montserrat]]
|
|
|-
| align="left" |[[File:Flag of Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla (1958-1967).svg|border|30x30px]] [[Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla]]
|
|
|-
| align="left" |[[File:Flag of Saint Lucia (1939–1967).svg|border|30x30px]] [[Saint Lucia]]
| bgcolor="#a9d4ff" |[[People's Progressive Party (Saint Lucia)|People's Progressive Party]]
| bgcolor="#a9d4ff" |[[People's Progressive Party (Saint Lucia)|PPP]]
|-
| align="left" |[[File:Flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (1907-1979).svg|border|30x30px]] [[Saint Vincent and the Grenadines]]
| bgcolor="#a9d4ff" |[[People's Political Party (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)|People's Political Party]]
| bgcolor="#a9d4ff" |[[People's Political Party (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)|PPP]]
|-
| align="left" |[[File:Flag of Trinidad and Tobago (1889–1958).svg|border|30x30px]] [[Trinidad and Tobago]]
| bgcolor="#a9d4ff" |[[Democratic Labour Party (Trinidad and Tobago)|Democratic Labour Party]]
| bgcolor="#a9d4ff" |[[Democratic Labour Party (Trinidad and Tobago)|DLP]]
|}

== 1958 West Indies federal elections ==
In the [[West Indies federal elections, 1958|Federal elections]] of 1958 the WIFLP won the majority of the votes in the Federal Parliament.  Since neither Manley nor Bustamante had contested the Federal elections, Sir [[Grantley Adams]] became the Federal [[Prime Minister]], while [[Ashford Sinanan]] was the (DLP) [[Opposition (parliamentary)|Leader of the Opposition]].

=== Manifesto ===
The DLP's election platform emphasized West Indian unity, freedom of worship and speech, encouragement of trade unions, a climate favourable to both private industry and labour, development of human and economic resources, and expansion of tourism. It pledged to work for the entry of British Guiana and British Honduras into the Federation, promised to press for loans and technical assistance to raise standards of living and avoid high taxation and urged a strengthening of existing ties with the United Kingdom, United States and Canada and fostering "very strong and profitable relationships" with neighbouring countries.

== Dissolution ==
Under criticism for his anti-Federalism, Bustamante resigned from the DLP.  He then held a referendum in [[Jamaica]] which favoured withdrawal from the Federation.  This left [[Trinidad and Tobago]] with a disproportionate burden of the Federal budget, leading [[Eric Williams]] to lead them out of the Federation.  This action led the [[United Kingdom|British]] to dissolve the Federation.

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Refbegin}}
* Meighoo, Kirk. 2003. ''Politics in a Half Made Society: Trinidad and Tobago, 1925-2002'' {{ISBN|1-55876-306-6}}
* Wallace, Elisabeth. 1977. ''The British Caribbean: From the decline of colonialism to the end of Federation '' University of Toronto Press. {{ISBN|0-8020-5351-3}}
{{Refend}}

[[Category:Labour parties]]
[[Category:Liberal parties in North America]]
[[Category:Political parties established in 1957]]
[[Category:Politics of the Caribbean]]
[[Category:Political parties in the Caribbean]]
[[Category:West Indies Federation]]