On Tuesday 10 December 2024, the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica, Dr Roosevelt Skerritt joined the launch of Labour Friends of the Commonwealth (LFC), a newly established grouping chaired by UK Labour MP Preet Kaur Gill.
The well-attended event, held in the UK Parliament, focused on the ‘Future of Democracies across the Commonwealth’ as its theme.
PM Skerrit, who leads the Dominica Labour Party and is the first patron of the group, was welcomed by Gill and Labour Minister Douglas Alexander as the keynote speaker at the event.
LFC has been founded with a clear mission: to unite Labour Parties across the Commonwealth in pursuit of our shared values—rooted in justice, equality, and solidarity. Echoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s words at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), Gill expressed her determination to forge closer links between Commonwealth nations in order to grasp the global opportunities and challenges democratic nations share.
The Commonwealth is an extraordinary global community, spanning nearly a third of the world’s population. Its diversity—of culture, geography, wealth, and tradition—is unique among international groupings. The UK itself has deep connections to the Commonwealth through its diaspora, shared history and common ideals, as set out in the United Nations Charter.
“Our Labour principles will guide us every step of the way as we march towards a better tomorrow, as a Commonwealth that is Stronger Together,”
says Labour Friends of the Commonwealth.
The launching ceremony saw the presence of Labour leaders, visionaries and advocates from the Commonwealth nations who shared views on evolving challenges and opportunities for democracies in a contested world.