BLP candidate pledges to focus on youth, community

Barbados Labour Party (BLP) candidate for St. Michael South Central, Marsha Caddle, is optimistic about creating commercial spaces for unemployed young people in Barbados.

Taking a swipe at the ruling Democratic Labour Party’s (DLP) management of the country’s economic affairs, the economist said she is worried that there are too many unemployed young people, especially in the urban corridor, who are willing to work, but cannot find jobs due to the state of the economy.

“There is no reason why we can’t create commercial spaces, commercial zones within the urban corridor, near to places like the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) which has so much traffic and so many people passing back and forth every day. There is no reason why we can’t help to turn this into a viable commercial space for our people,” Caddle said.

The new candidate was speaking on Wednesday evening, at the opening of her Tweedside Road, constituency office.

She pledged that once elected by constituents to represent their best interest, she intends to reintroduce community-based activities that will help to cultivate the talents of the youth, giving them a chance to live a productive life.

“You have community centres that are hardly opened and hardly provide opportunities for some of these young men and women that we pass and look down on because they are not doing anything,” she said.

“The work that we are doing here is not just about winning an election; though that is where it will start. We have a unique opportunity to start building Barbados back for better. It is not going to happen overnight.

“It is going to take time, but we are going to be able to transform this country for better, together. I am energised, I am excited, I am encouraged by the talent that we have in this community, and by the fact that we all recognise the important work that we have to do,” the economist declared. (AH)