Beyond Westminster in the Caribbean

The challenges faced by Commonwealth Caribbean democracies particularly in the past 20 years has forced a reckoning with how the Westminster model of government has served the needs of these small states. Crime, corruption and struggling economies operating in a globalised world have brought into sharp relief the threat to once-stable democracies.

Beyond Westminster in the Caribbean analyses Westminster governance in the post-independence Caribbean and reflects on the weaknesses of the model, the absence of a will to change despite the deficiencies and proposals for the way forward. Drawing on the contributions of distinguished scholars, prominent serving politicians and a sitting prime minister, the book offers a critical review of the state of Caribbean constitutions and a frank discussion of whether these small states can weather the threats that have presented themselves since the end of the Cold-War and the rise of neoliberalism. Can the Westminister model survive and thrive in the contemporary Caribbean, or is it time to move beyond Westminster?