34. Tea Time Discourse: The Rise of Chairman Mottley - Shem Best

The Rasheed Griffith Show

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Navigate the Barbadian political landscape with Rasheed Griffith and CPSI Podcast Producer Shem Best. In this episode, we discuss the evolution and decline of governance on the island, starting with one of its most prolific Prime Ministers, Owen Arthur. What tipped the scales for the David Thompson administration's rise after over a decade of BLP rule? What disastrous decisions paved the way for Mottley's landslide victory in 2018?
Barbados' Westminster-style government structure has created one of the world's most stable democracies with over three centuries of an uninterrupted parliament (the 3rd oldest in the Western Hemisphere). However, its two-party arrangement has also generated predictable levels of stagnation throughout all levels of leadership which can result in knee-jerk reactions from the electorate, easily swayed by domestic and international pressures.
We explore milestones in industry and policymaking that have produced one of the most tumultuous political environments the island has experienced since the early years of independence. From self-harming fiscal and monetary legislation to the resulting physical deterioration of the island's infrastructure and the compounding shocks of international events, join us in this two-part series on how the Gem of the Caribbean lost its luster. (All over afternoon tea)