Barbados PM Mottley scores historic third-term sweep, Modi extends warm congratulations

Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley has secured an extraordinary third consecutive term in office after her Barbados Labour Party (BLP) won all 30 seats in the House of Assembly in the 11 February 2026 general election , delivering a historic 30‑0 sweep that cements her dominance in national politics. The victory is the third clean sweep by the BLP under her leadership, a rare achievement in Caribbean history.

Mottley, 60, comfortably retained her own seat in St Michael North East while the main opposition Democratic Labour Party (DLP) , led by Ralph Thorne, failed to win any seats and was left entirely out of Parliament. Thorne acknowledged the defeat as disappointing but thanked his supporters for what he called a clean campaign.

In her victory speech, Mottley said the sweeping mandate was a call to service rather than mere office holding. “Our mission first and foremost is to stop poor people from being poor and to remove injustice wherever it exists to create opportunities for people,” she told cheering supporters dressed in red. She pledged to focus her government’s next term on improving healthcare, enhancing public safety, strengthening infrastructure and continuing work to address the cost of living.

Celebrations were buoyed by Mottley’s announcement that Friday, 13 February 2026 , would be observed as a public bank holiday across Barbados, with a thanksgiving rally scheduled at the National Botanical Gardens. Political analysts said the resounding victory reflects strong voter confidence in her leadership during global challenges, particularly Barbados’ transition to a parliamentary republic in 2021 and her international advocacy on climate justice and debt reforms for climate‑vulnerable nations.

Barbados is a small island nation of nearly 283,000 people and became a parliamentary republic in November 2021 , removing the British monarch as head of state a change Mottley championed as a symbolic and practical assertion of national sovereignty. She has also elevated Barbados’ voice on the global stage, especially on climate disaster financing, economic resilience, and regional cooperation.

The election saw multiple parties and independent candidates contest seats, but none could penetrate the BLP’s firm grip, which has now held every seat since 2018. Preliminary reports suggest voter turnout was significantly lower than in past elections, estimated at around 40% , although official figures are still pending release.

Regional leaders and international partners quickly reacted to the outcome. Gaston Browne , prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, praised Mottley’s decisive win on social media, calling it an “unprecedented clean sweep three‑peat,” while Dr Terrance Drew of St Kitts and Nevis highlighted the confidence the people of Barbados have shown in her vision and leadership, emphasizing continued cooperation within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

Following the election result, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India extended warm congratulations to Mottley, underlining the deep and enduring friendship between India and Barbados. In a message on X, Modi said: “ Warm congratulations to Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley on her historic third consecutive electoral victory. India deeply values its long‑standing friendship with Barbados, which continues to expand across diverse areas of cooperation. I warmly recall our meeting on the sidelines of the India‑CARICOM Summit in 2024 and look forward to working closely with her to further strengthen our partnership for the benefit of our peoples. ”