Godwin Haylock wins UDP Convention in Queen Square

The United Democratic Party on Sunday held a contested convention in the Queen Square division. Godwin Haylock and Shane Williams went head-to-head. Out of the 860 votes cast, Haylock received 736 votes, while Shane Williams received 119 votes. Five ballots were rejected. Haylock, who had been in a supporting role for the UDP for more than two decades, was elected as the standard bearer for the party. Haylock says he is ready to lead the division. 

Godwin Haylock, UDP Standard Bearer, Queen Square Constituency: “I’m elated. It was an impressive victory. It was a massive victory for the entire UDP Queen Square community. I think it shows that 85% of the voters that came out yesterday voted in my favor I think it’s a clear indication that the people want me to be the next UDP standard bearer for Queen Square.”

Reporter: Okay I’ve been told that you’re new to this so what’s next ? 

Godwin Haylock, UDP Standard Bearer, Queen Square Constituency:  “I think it’s just maintaining the machinery that Honorable Sister Denise Barrow has in Queen Square. Sister Denise Barrow has been serving the community like no other. She knows how to reach them, she knows how to communicate with them, she knows how to service them. That has to now be fused with my energy, my spirit, my ability to chart a new course in Queen Square. To test the Queen Square machinery Sunday past I take no joy in doing it but it really shows that the machinery is ready, we are ready for the next general elections in 2025 whoever that person might be we definitely believe that we’ll win Queen Square once again.”

Watching the race closely was Collet Area Representative Patrick Faber. Faber says that the number of participants is indicative of the type of support that Haylock has. 

Patrick Faber, Area Representative, Collet Division: “I watched very carefully at what transpired though and for all the critics of Sista B you know Sista B and Godwin are of course a tag team operation and Godwin has now been supported by the Queen Square establishment as the new candidate but what I want to point out in that convention is the fact that the constituency has a little over 2,700 voters and if you look at the numbers close to 900 people participated in a UDP convention, a third of the number of voters in a constituency coming out in a political convention is a tremendous thing to accomplish and it says about Godwin Haylock’s candidacy that it is going to be a force to reckon with. Imagine if a little more effort would have been put in and more than half of those persons would come out. And I give credit to Godwin mainly because of the kind of margin which he won by. By the way I congratulate Shane Williams as well. You know Shane is a very very superb individual as well and I think that Shane has a very promising future in the ranks of the UDP but Godwin’s victory sends a clear, a very loud signal that he is going to be a force to reckon with now that he is the UDP standard bearer in the Queen Square constituency.”