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Bird, an imposing figure (standing at 7 feet tall) even in his last years, was astute enough to recognise that those benefits would be limited as long as the big landowners held control of the government. Therefore, he actively encouraged the top executive of his union – the
Antigua Trades and Labour
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Bird's political exile was to last for only five years and by 1976, he regained the government, having campaigned against independence on the grounds that
Antigua was not yet psychologically ready. He won the election again in 1980, this time with independence being a major campaign plank. With his
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Bird, radical in his younger days, had been shifting to the right, and in the face of severe social unrest that forced a split in the ATLU in 1967 and rioting in 1968, the ATLU lost its tight hold of
Antigua and Barbuda politics. Out of the split, the Antigua Workers Union was formed and later the
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When universal adult suffrage was introduced here in 1951, the ATLU, under the banner of the
Antigua Labour Party, won all seats in the legislature, a feat it repeated until 1967, making Antigua a country with a multi-party system but with freely voted one-party control. The ministerial system was
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When the
Antigua Trades and Labour Union (ATLU) was formed in 1939, Bird was an executive member. By 1943 he had become president of the union and was leading a battle for better working conditions and increased pay against the white sugar barons. The union entered electoral politics for the first
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Bird won a seat to parliament in the late 1940s and his party went on to dominate electoral politics in
Antigua and Barbuda for several years. He was eventually to lead the islands into political independence from Britain. Bird left his mark on the labour movement, education and the Caribbean
1105:. Bird was among the early organizers of labour in colonial Antigua and Barbuda of the 1930s and 1940s. His biggest battles were fought in the sugar industry, where he achieved better wages for workers and recognition of the right of workers to have annual holidays with pay.
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On 1 November 1981, he became the first Prime minister of
Antigua and Barbuda. Since then, in a rare case in modern-day Caribbean politics, he led his party to an election victory in 1984 in which the Antigua Labour Party (ALP) won all the Antiguan seats in the Legislature.
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for two years interspersing his interests in trade unionism and politics. He gave up the
Salvation Army because he saw the way the landowners were treating the local black Antiguans and Barbudans, so he decided to leave his post to fight for the freedom of his people.
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In 1968 the PLM won four seats in a by-election and by 1971 Bird was out of power, having not only lost the government to the PLM but also the parliamentary seat he had held for 25 years. A former
Lieutenant, the PLM's George Walter, became the island's new premier.
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In 1967, Antigua became the first
Eastern Caribbean island to receive the associated statehood constitution from Britain that gave internal self-government but with London remaining responsible for foreign policy and defence.
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Union – to run for legislative office. He agitated for a change in the qualification of candidates for the parliamentary elections since up to that time, only property owners could run for election.
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and became the first and only chief minister, first and last premier, and first prime minister from 1981 to 1994. His resignation was due to failing health and internal issues within the government.
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Bird's supporters reject these accusations and say that his actions were justified to throw off the institution of colonial sugar planters and the British colonial overlords. The Antiguan author
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Bird was a member of an elite group of militant trade unionists who blazed a trail through colonial times up to or near the political independence of the Caribbean countries. The group included
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within the Labour Party, with many claiming the government is essentially a "family business" with the continuance of the Bird dynasty in control of political power as unquestioned.
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introduced in 1956 and the Governor gave Bird the trade and production portfolio, and when further constitutional advancement came in 1960, he was named Chief Minister.
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powerful family, he ruled Antigua and Barbuda up to 1994, when he quit politics, having paved the way for one of his sons, Lester, to take over as prime minister.
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integration movement. One of Bird's dreams was a Caribbean that was united politically and economically. Bird ardently supported the
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time in 1946 and Bird won, in a by-election, a seat in the legislature and was appointed a member of the Executive Council.
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Bird was born in a poor area of St John's, the capital. Unlike most of his political contemporaries – such as
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and when that collapsed in 1962, negotiated hard for a federation of the "Little Eight" countries.
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1132:(CARIFTA) into being. That Association later led to the Caribbean Community and Common Market (
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987:(PLM), and Bird decided to resign because he felt it was not right to hold both positions.
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169:. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed.
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Recipients of the Order of the National Hero (Antigua and Barbuda)
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A common criticism from the Antiguan public is the corruption and
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Chief Minister of Antigua from 1 January 1960 to 27 February 1967
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1249:"Sir Lester Bird receives A&B's highest national honour"
1231:"Caribbean Elections Biography | Vere Cornwall Bird Sr"
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Bird died in St. John's at 6:58pm on 28 June 1999, aged 88.
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Premier of Antigua from 27 February 1967 to 14 February 1971
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dictatorship in Haiti in her politically charged narrative
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Premier of Antigua from 1 February 1976 to 1 November 1981
1275:"Caribbean Elections Biography | Vere Cornwall Bird Sr"
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for 2 years. In 1943, he became the president of the
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1638:Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom
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27:Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda (1909–1999)
1569:Served as Chief Minister of Antigua and Barbuda.
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489:27 February 1967 – 14 February 1971
877:. Unsourced material may be challenged and
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434:29 February 1976 – 1 November 1981
66:Learn how and when to remove these messages
1489:Heads of government of Antigua and Barbuda
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1251:. The Daily Observer. 2014. Archived from
550:1 January 1960 – 27 February 1967
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803:Learn how and when to remove this message
663:(9 December 1909 – 28 June 1999) was the
305:Learn how and when to remove this message
287:Learn how and when to remove this message
185:Learn how and when to remove this message
123:Learn how and when to remove this message
1608:Foreign ministers of Antigua and Barbuda
1603:Finance ministers of Antigua and Barbuda
1150:Knight of the Order of the National Hero
86:This article includes a list of general
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1413:Finance Minister of Antigua and Barbuda
1357:Finance Minister of Antigua and Barbuda
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369:1 November 1981 – 9 March 1994
1598:Prime ministers of Antigua and Barbuda
1386:Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda
1304:The Political Accomplishments of Bird
1020:from 1 November 1981 to 9 March 1994.
357:Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda
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1040:compared the Bird government to the
875:adding citations to reliable sources
737:adding citations to reliable sources
225:adding citations to reliable sources
1171:V. C. Bird Monument in Saint John's
92:it lacks sufficient corresponding
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1628:Bird family (Antigua and Barbuda)
1613:Antigua and Barbuda Salvationists
1182:List of foreign ministers in 1991
47:This article has multiple issues.
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1120:In 1965, together with premiers
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55:or discuss these issues on the
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1095:St Vincent and the Grenadines
1618:Leaders of political parties
1152:(KNH) by his native country
1128:of Guyana, Bird brought the
1209:. Marquis Who's Who. 1990.
985:Progressive Labour Movement
519:Himself (as Chief minister)
165:the claims made and adding
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657:Sir Vere Cornwall Bird
328:Sir Vere Cornwall Bird
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1406:John Eugene St. Luce
1055:Alexander Bustamante
1025:Criticism and praise
954:Positions in Antigua
871:improve this section
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688:Antigua Labour Party
665:first Prime Minister
594:Himself (as Premier)
584:Position established
403:Himself (as Premier)
324:The Right Honourable
221:improve this article
1384:Premier of Antigua,
1237:on 7 December 2011.
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1047:A Small Place
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629:(1999-06-28)
627:28 June 1999
590:Succeeded by
559:Elizabeth II
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1593:1999 deaths
1588:1909 births
1450:Lester Bird
1433:Lester Bird
1396:Lester Bird
890:"Vere Bird"
752:"Vere Bird"
671:. His son,
580:Preceded by
569:Ian Turbott
515:Preceded by
460:Preceded by
414:Lester Bird
399:Preceded by
236:"Vere Bird"
105:introducing
1582:Categories
1390:1976–1994
1361:1960-1971
1336:1960–1971
1285:5 November
1259:10 January
1188:References
1099:Eric Gairy
901:newspapers
763:newspapers
634:St. John's
614:St. John's
247:newspapers
159:improve it
88:references
52:improve it
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546:In office
485:In office
430:In office
365:In office
163:verifying
58:talk page
18:V.C. Bird
1505:Colonial
1176:See also
1079:Barbados
1031:cronyism
829:Barbados
823:and Sir
565:Governor
504:Governor
449:Governor
1553:Spencer
1548:L. Bird
1543:V. Bird
1527:V. Bird
1517:V. Bird
1512:V. Bird
1134:Caricom
1103:Grenada
1063:Jamaica
962:in the
960:officer
915:scholar
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864:sources
821:Jamaica
777:scholar
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157:Please
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1287:2023
1261:2016
1211:ISBN
1097:and
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624:Died
608:Born
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