Former Prime Minister Sir Lloyd passes

Former Prime Minister of Barbados Sir Lloyd Erskine Sandiford has passed. He was 86-years-old.

Sir Lloyd served as fourth prime minister and led the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) administration from June 1, 1987 on the death of predecessor Errol Barrow, until he resigned on June 18, 1994.

He was born on March 24, 1937 and attended the Coleridge and Parry School and later Harrison College, where he won a Barbados Scholarship in 1956.

Sir Lloyd attended the University of the West Indies in Jamaica and graduated with a degree in English. He pursued post graduate studies in economics and government at Manchester University in England.

Sir Lloyd taught in Jamaica and Barbados before entering politics in 1966.

He was appointed a DLP senator in 1967 and Minister of Education in 1968. He won a seat in the House of Assembly in 1971 as representative for St Michael South and became deputy prime minister in 1986.

Among Sir Lloyd’s accolades are the establishment of the Barbados Community College and the Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic, now the Samuel Jackman Prescod Institute of Technology.

His government fell on June 7, 1994 when he lost a no-confidence motion 12-14 after a long debate in the House of Assembly.

In the latter years, Sir Lloyd served as Barbados’ first resident ambassador to China from 2010 to 2013.

He is survived by widow, Dame Angelita Sandiford, and children Garth and Inga. Daughter Sheree-Ann pre-deceased him. (SAT)