Barbados: Ralph Thorne steps down as DLP leader after suffering 3rd straight 30-0 defeat to BLP 

Barbados: Following a crushing defeat in the Barbados 2026 general election, Democratic Labour Party (DLP) leader Ralph Thorne has indicated that he is stepping down from the leadership of the party. The DLP lost for a third consecutive time 30-nil to the Barbados Labour Party (BLP).

The clean sweep unseated opposition leader Ralph Thorne of the Democratic Labour Party, who conceded the result and described the campaign as clean. In her victory remarks, Prime Minister Mia Mottley said her administration’s priority is tackling poverty and injustice and announced Friday as a public bank holiday.

After the final results were announced, Thorne said that although the result was ‘very disappointing' but the seventy-year-old remained very ‘resourceful’ and will be rebuilding without him at the helm.

Talking to local reporters, he said that the party came back after the obvious difficulties of two years ago and added, “We came back and we fought together.” Ralph Thorne emphasised that the DLP was united, and the people of Barbados understand.

He noted that according to him the party as a whole came out looking quite well. “The result, as I said, is disappointing, but this party is very resourceful in going forward. Clearly, the time comes when I must pass on to other persons. This is a democratic organisation. I do not write political will and a new leader will emerge, I am sure in the fullness of time,” he added.

Thorne said that they fought the good fight, finished the course and kept their faith and will now go forward. He thanked the BLP for being good and said, “its work must continue.”

Notably, the DLP suffered defeat to the Mia Mottley led Barbados Labour Party in 2018, 2022 and now again in 2026. Throughout these three elections, his party hasn’t been able to secure even a single seat in the government.

The DLP Leader’s tenure was marked by internal dissent which further boiled over into public controversy following his decision to cross the floor from the government backbench.