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To be associated with the completion of the work begun by Barrow indicates that there has been a blurring of "the ideological divide" divide between the DLP and the BLP, if ever there was one.

It may be recalled that duing a brighter period of DLP history the BLP was depicted by DLP spokespersons as the party of corporate Barbados. These spokespersons were able to convince a wide cross section of the Barbadian society with this falsehood even though one of the founding fathers of modern Barbados was national hero, Sir Grantley Adams. In spite of this blatant falsehood, History has recorded that Sir Grantley worked tirelessly on behalf of the workers of the country. So much for the power of propaganda in a liberal democratic society where competing ideas are allowed to be ventilated.

However, thirty six years after the death of Sir Grantley, Arthur has been able to restore the BLP to its rightful place as the party of the masses with the establishment of the Poverty Alleviation Bureau, the Urban Development Commission and the Rural Development Commission.

Students of West Indian History may recall that celebrated West Indian author, the late CLR James, had accused Barrow of splitting the working class movement at a time when Sir Grantley had effected a social revolution without the shedding of blood.

Arthur, who wears his social origins as a badge of honour in a country where several high fliers are known to distance themselves from their less fortunate relatives, has shown that he is unafraid to recognise talent wherever it is found.

His willingness to welcome political figures like Clyde Mascoll into the bosom of his party speaks volumes about his vision as a political leader.

It must be told that he also embraced intellectuals whose social origins had excluded them from making any meaninful contribution to the devlopment of the country.

Any accurate history of the current period must record that Arthur opened several doors for children who were born in the gaps and footpaths across Barbados.

This writer challenges anyone to identify another Prime Minister of Barbados who would have appointed a known Pan-Africanist or a member of the Rastafarian community to head a government department in an island which is known for its conservatism.

He would have been conscious of the fact that such appointments would have aroused the ire of monarchists and individuals who would want to deny our sordid colonial past of slavery and the dehumanisation of the black population.

Always conscious of his social origins and paying dutiful reverence to the work of Sir Grantley Adams, Arthur said recently: " We have a special history in Barbados. I stand where I am today because there is a person in our history called Grantley Adams who fought not just for the vote, but to create a society where the children of poor people could rise to the highest office.

"I am here as a validation of the vision of Grantley Adams. I am here because the BLP is true to that vision and it gave me a chance to prove that the struggles of the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s and the 1960s were not in vain, but that people like your children should be able able to rise to the top. We are aware that the question is often asked:" Can any good come out of Nazareth?" the Prime Minister added.

He suggested that one of the questions Barbados has to ask is: " Can good come out of Rose Hill, St Peter or Deacon's Road, St Michael? Can these people aspire to rise to the top?"

It is noteworthy that during Tuesday whistle stop tour of the St Michael North West constituency Arthur pointed out that he stood where he was today because of Grantley Adams and Mascoll stood where he was today because of Barrow. In making this observation he repeated his charge that as currently constituted the DLP had repudiated the legacy of Barrow and was destroying the very reason why the institution was formed.

According to Arthur, Mascoll's unceremonious removal from the office of the Leader of the Opposition was a clear case of the repudiation of Barrow's legacy.

Under these circumstances the question must be asked: " What role will the DLP play on the local political landscape now that it has denied the son of working class parents access to one of the highest political offices in the country?"

On the other hand, Arthur continues to honor Adams' legacy with the warm welcome he has extended to the sons and daughters of working class Barbadians who seek to realise their fullest potential.
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