Antigua & Barbuda - Head of Government

The Hon Winston Baldwin Spencer, Leader of the United Progressive Party, was re-elected to a second term in office as Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda following his victory at the 12 March 2009 general election. Mr Spencer began his first term in office in March 2004. He is concurrently Minister of Foreign Affairs. Before becoming prime minister, Mr Spencer served in the House of Representatives for more than 15 years as Leader of the Opposition.

Mr Spencer was Chairperson of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) from 2008 to 2009. He has also served as Chair of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States and also sat as Co-Chairperson of the Summit Meeting between the European Union, Latin America and the Caribbean in Mexico in 2004. He chaired one of four Round Tables of Heads of State and Government at the World Summit 2005, at the United Nations General Assembly.

Mr Spencer was Chair of the Group of 77 developing countries and China at the United Nations in September 2008. He was honoured with the Millennium Development Goals Achievement Award that year for his commitment and contributions in promoting and strengthening partnerships between the UN and the private sector to achieve global anti-poverty goals.

Mr Spencer began his political career in 1989 when he was elected to parliament as a United National Democratic Party representative of the St John’s Rural West constituency. He has spent over a quarter of a century in labour negotiations, and served as 1st Vice-President of the Antigua and Barbuda Workers Union, and before that as Assistant General Secretary. He was a former President of the Caribbean Maritime and Aviation Council.

Mr Spencer has a diplomas in social leadership from the Coady International Institute, Canada; in labour and economic studies from Ruskin College, Oxford University; and in labour and industrial relations from Oslo University, Norway.

Mr Spencer was born on 8 October 1948.

More at: www.ab.gov.ag