Agriculture Minister and All Saints West MP Anthony Smith has accused the leadership of the United Progressive Party (UPP) of holding deep-seated animosity toward representatives from his constituency, pointing to the treatment of former MP Chandler Codrington as evidence of a longstanding pattern.
Speaking on Community Matters, Smith claimed that the UPP’s leadership has historically sidelined All Saints West, preventing its elected representatives from holding influential positions within the party and government.
“I am convinced that the UPP leadership hates All Saints West,” Smith said. “Chandler Codrington won his seat overwhelmingly—twice—and yet, he was never given a full Cabinet position. He was the face of the party in the constituency, yet they treated him as though he was nothing.”
Smith suggested that Codrington’s exclusion from the UPP Cabinet despite his electoral success reflected a broader trend of political neglect toward All Saints West. He argued that his own experience within the party followed a similar trajectory, with the leadership actively working against him even before his departure.
“I gave my all to the UPP—my time, my resources, my money—but in the end, they turned against me,” Smith stated. “They never saw All Saints West as a priority. Instead of supporting those who worked to build the party, they tried to push us out.”
The former UPP MP, who now serves in the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP)-led government, said that his departure was inevitable due to what he described as “internal sabotage” and “backstabbing” within the opposition ranks.
“They didn’t want me there, just like they didn’t want others before me,” Smith added. “The same leadership that sidelined Codrington is the same one that came after me, and it’s the same one driving others away today.”
Smith’s claims come as the UPP faces ongoing internal divisions, with several prominent members, including Dr. Mansoor and Damani Tabor, stepping away from the party. His remarks add to the growing criticism of the opposition’s leadership, which has been accused of alienating key figures and failing to unify the party ahead of the next general election.
Despite the controversy surrounding his departure, Smith maintains that his move to the government has allowed him to better serve his constituents.
