Sir Wilfred E. Jacobs was the fifth governor to preside over the colony from 1967 until 1 Nov 1981, when he became the first Governor General of antigua & Barbuda.
James Beethoven Carlisle was Governor of Antigua and Barbuda from the 10th Jun 1993 until 17 Jul 2007. He became the second governor general of Antigua after the death of Sir Wilfred Jacobs.
Dame Louise Lake-Tack became Third Governor General of Antigua and Barbuda on 17th Jul 2007.
locally he is known as Papa Bird and considered by many antiguans as the father of the nation. Much can be attributed to his philosophy of resistance, commitment, courage and perseverance in his battle to eliminate the oppressive and exploitive working conditions employed by the English Plantocracy in the sugar industry and sea ports in colonial Antigua.
In spite of his contribution and list of accomplishment in Antigua, the legacy of Vere Cornwall Bird is one of much disappointment. In the late 1980s, the Bird administration was accused of peddling passports to non-Antiguans, mismanaging foreign loans, and using Antigua and Barbuda to launder arms shipments to South Africa.
Sir George Herbert Walter was the second premier of Antigua and Barbuda and the founder of the Antigua Workers Union. In 1960 he became general secretary of the Antigua Trades & Labour Union (ATLU), serving until 1967, when he was fired as Vere Cornwall Bird accused him of trying to topple the government.
Demands for a new union led to the foundation of the Antigua Workers' Union (AWU), with Walter as their general secretary; 75% of the ATLU moved over to the new union. In 1968 a new party, the Progressive Labour Movement (PLM), was also formed out of the AWU. Walter resigned his union post and became political leader of the PLM. In 1971, he led it to victory in elections, defeating Bird, four years after the colony became a British dependency with domestic autonomy.
Lester Bird is the second son of Vere Cornwall Bird Senior. born February 21, 1938, New York City) was Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda from 1994 to 2004 and a well-known athlete. He was chairman of the Antigua Labour Party from 1971 to 1993, then became Prime Minister when his father, Vere Bird, the previous Prime Minister, resigned. His government won re-election in 1994 and 1999.
His term in office was plagued by perpetual scandals and accusations of gross mismanagement, drug running and charges of corruption at the highest level. Under his leadership, the ALP strangle hold on the electorate began to loose it's grip. In 2003 he temporarily became the leader of a minority administration. Eventually he was defeat in the 2004 general election by Balwind Spencer and the (UPP) United Progressive Party.
Baldwind Spencer is the third prime minister of Antigua & Barbuda. He is rumored to be the Son of Vere Bird Senior, which would make him the brother of Vere Junior and Lester. As far as am aware he is yet to admit or deny these rumors. Unlike Lester and Vere, Baldwin Spencer is a by-product of the trade union movement and several parties. He first emerged with the PLM and George Walter who was obliterated by the birds. He reappeared again with the UPM which did not last to long.
In 1984 he came back with the United National Democratic Party (UNDP) led by Doctor Ivor Heath and they were also wiped out by the ALP and the Birds. His latest and hopefully his last party is the United Progressive Party (UPP) currently the political party in power in Antigua and Barbuda. The legacy of prime minister Baldwin Spencer is yet to be written. I am hoping that by now politicians in Antigua have taken note of what happened to the last man that defeated Papa Bird in an election in Antigua. If the old sayings "like father like son" is true, well the next chapter in the political dynamics aand drama of Antigua politics is yet to begin.
