Gaston Browne | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Browne in 2022 | |
| 4thPrime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda | |
| Assumed office 13 June 2014 | |
| Monarchs | Elizabeth II Charles III |
| Governors‑General | Louise Lake-Tack Rodney Williams |
| Preceded by | Baldwin Spencer |
| Chairman of theCaribbean Community | |
| In office 1 January 2021[1] – 30 June 2021[1] | |
| Secretary-General | Irwin LaRocque Carla Barnett |
| Preceded by | Keith Rowley |
| Succeeded by | Johnny Briceño |
| In office 1 July 2014[2] – 31 December 2014 | |
| Secretary-General | Irwin LaRocque |
| Preceded by | Ralph Gonsalves |
| Succeeded by | Perry Christie[3] |
| Member of Parliament forSt. John's City West | |
| Assumed office 9 March 1999 | |
| Preceded by | Donald Halstead |
| Leader of the Opposition | |
| In office December 2012 – June 2014 | |
| Preceded by | Lester Bird |
| Succeeded by | Baldwin Spencer |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Gaston Alfonso Browne (1967-02-09)9 February 1967 (age 58) Villa,Antigua |
| Political party | Labour Party |
| Spouse | |
| Education | City Banking College University of Manchester |
Gaston Alphonso Browne (born 9 February 1967) is an Antiguan politician serving as theprime minister ofAntigua and Barbuda and leader of theLabour Party since 2014. Before entering politics, he was a banker and businessman.
Browne was born on 9 February 1967, days before theAssociated State of Antigua was established, in theVilla area ofSt. John's.[4][5] His life as a teenager was extremely tough. As a child, he lived inPoint with his paternal great-grandmother, who was in her eighties at the time, partially blind, poor and aging. After her death he grew up in Point, another impoverished area.[4]
After completing his secondary education, Browne attended the City Banking College in the United Kingdom, where he graduated with a BSc in banking and finance. Later, he attended theUniversity of Manchester, acquiring anMBA in Finance.[6][7][8]
Following graduation, Browne secured a position with the Swiss American Banking Group, a major bankingconsortium in Antigua and Barbuda that comprises offshore and onshore banks and atrust company. He eventually advanced to the position of Commercial Banking Manager.
He entered politics in 1999, being elected to parliament for the constituency ofSt. John's City West. In his first term he was appointed Minister of Planning, Trade, Industry, Commerce and Public Service Affairs.[citation needed]
Browne challenged and defeatedLester Bird in the leadership race forLabour Party in November 2012 with a margin of 213 to 180, and was appointed asleader of the opposition in December 2012.[9]
Gaston Browne led theAntigua and Barbuda Labour Party to victory in the12 June 2014 general election, after 10 years in opposition, winning 14 out of 17 seats. Browne was sworn in as prime minister on 13 June 2014.[10] He defeatedBaldwin Spencer'sUPP, which had ruled for 10 years. Browne also held the office ofMinister of Finance.[11]
On21 March 2018 general election, he successfully leaded his party to its second consecutive electoral victory. He sworn in for a second term as Prime Minister on 22 March 2018.[12] In thegeneral election of 18 January 2023, he won his third term in office - a unique achievement in the history of Antigua and Barbuda[13] - but this time with a slim majority of nine seats against the eight allocated to the opposition.[14] On 15 July 2024, MPAnthony Smith resigned as a member of theUnited Progressive Party (UPP), becoming an independent parliamentarian but effectively moving into the ranks of the majority, strengthening Browne's leadership.[15] The following day, he sworn in before Governor-GeneralRodney Williams as the new Minister of Agriculture, Lands, Fisheries and the Blue Economy, becoming the first independent MP in Antigua and Barbuda's history to receive a cabinet position.[16][17] On January 14, 2025, ABLP candidateRawdon Turner emerged victorious inSt. Peter by-election, called following the tragic death of independent MPAsot Michael, fortifying the governing majority even more.[18][19][20] Turner sworn in as Minister of Social and Urban Transformation on January 15, 2025.[21]
The Caribbean Global Awards[22] ranked Gaston Browne 9th on Caribbean Leader’s top 10 list for the year 2024.[23]
On 6 September 2017Hurricane Irma swept through Barbuda. Gaston Browne stated that theCategory 5 storm had destroyed 95% of the structures and vehicles.[24] Initial estimates showed that at least 60% of the island's residents were homeless because of the disaster.[25] All communications with Barbuda were completely down for a time; most of the communications system had been destroyed.[26]
On 8 September 2017, Browne said: "Barbuda right now is literally a rubble" with no water or phone service; he said there had been only a single fatality.[27] The government had almost completed the evacuation of the entire island; nearly 1,800 people were transferred to Antigua.[28]
On the same day, the first of three cargo planes arrived from the US, with over 120,000 pounds of relief for Barbuda, paid for by the Government of Antigua and Barbuda and by donations from Martin Franklyn and theColeman Company in the US.[29] Also on 8 September, Browne discussed Barbuda's urgent needs with Administrator Mark Green of theUnited States Agency for International Development. USAID had already sent a Disaster Assistance Response Team and continued to coordinate with the government and relief organizations.[30]
Browne's government was facing a massive challenge. An estimate published byTime indicated that overUS$100 million would be required to rebuild homes and infrastructure. Philmore Mullin, Director of Antigua and Barbuda's National Office of Disaster Services, said that "all critical infrastructure and utilities are non-existent – food supply, medicine, shelter, electricity, water, communications, waste management", adding "Public utilities need to be rebuilt in their entirety ... It is optimistic to think anything can be rebuilt in six months ... In my 25 years in disaster management, I have never seen something like this."[31]
During a visit by theEarl andCountess of Wessex for the celebration ofQueen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee, Browne asked the Earl if the couple would use their diplomatic influence to supportreparations for slavery toCaribbean Community nations, and announced that his country would become a republic.[32] Following thedeath of the Queen, Browne announced that he would call for a referendum on the country becoming a republic within three years, saying "This is not an act of hostility or any difference between Antigua and Barbuda and the monarchy, but it is the final step to complete that circle of independence, to ensure that we are truly a sovereign nation." He added that the country would remain a member of theCommonwealth regardless of the outcome.[33]
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Browne is married toMaria Bird-Browne, niece of the second prime ministerLester Bird.[34] He had three children prior to that marriage. The couple have a son, Prince Gaston Browne,[7] and a daughter born in September 2020.[35]
| House of Representatives of Antigua and Barbuda | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forSt. John's City West 1999–present | Incumbent |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Leader of theAntigua and Barbuda Labour Party 2012–present | Incumbent |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda 2014–present | Incumbent |
| Preceded by | Minister of Finance of Antigua and Barbuda 2014–present | |
| Diplomatic posts | ||
| Preceded by | Chair of theCaribbean Community 2014 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chair of the Caribbean Community 2021 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
