There’s a buzz of anticipation surrounding the upcoming leadership race for the United Progressive Party (UPP) as three contenders have to date declared their intent to vie for the coveted position.
Pearl Quinn-Williams, the UPP caretaker for St John’s Rural North, has confirmed her candidacy to head the opposition party when it meets for its convention in April.
While she stopped short of providing details to Observer media, Quinn-Williams adds a dynamic element to the race as the sole female candidate so far.
Quinn-Williams copped 45.58 percent of the votes in her constituency in the January 2023 election but was defeated by Labour’s Charles Fernandez.
Richard Lewis, UPP Member of Parliament for St John’s Rural West, is making his second bid for leadership, challenging interim Political Leader Jamale Pringle.
Lewis, who previously challenged former leader Harold Lovell in 2019, faces the uphill task of overcoming the significant margin by which he lost – over 200 votes. However, Lewis brings extensive parliamentary experience, having been first appointed to the Senate in 2018 before winning his seat in last year’s general election.
Pringle, the party’s interim Political Leader, has a substantial support base within the UPP, thanks to his previous role as Deputy Leader and his current position as Leader of the Opposition in Parliament.
The UPP has been without an elected Political Leader since the resignation and retirement of Lovell in 2023.
Lovell, who contested the St John’s City East seat, stepped down following a narrow electoral defeat, losing by just six votes to Labour Party incumbent Melford Nicholas.
The UPP’s convention is expected to be held in late April, with several positions to be contested, but none is being watched as closely as the Leader of the Opposition, who would become the next Prime Minister if the UPP were to win the next general election constitutionally due in 2028.
