21 Facts About Lester Bird

Lester Bird was chairman of the Antigua Labour Party from 1971 to 1983, then became prime minister when his father, Sir Vere Bird, the previous prime minister, resigned.

Lester Bird was a cricketer in his youth, playing for the Leeward Islands, and a long jump champion.

Lester Bird won a bronze medal in the long jump at the 1959 Pan American Games in Chicago while representing the British West Indies.

Lester Bird attended the University of Michigan, where he was All-American long jumper in 1960 and graduated in 1962.

Lester Bird completed his study of law in Britain and was called to the bar at Gray's Inn in 1969.

From 1969 to 1976, Lester Bird engaged in private practice in Antigua.

Lester Bird was named chairman of the ALP and the leader of the opposition in the Senate.

Lester Bird continued to serve as leader of the opposition until he was elected to the House of Representatives at the 1976 elections, when the ALP returned to power.

Lester Bird was chairman of OECS for a second time in 1989.

The ALP government and Lester Bird himself won re-election in 1994 and 1999.

Lester Bird lost his deputy prime minister post in 1991, but retained the external affairs ministry and the planning and trade portfolio.

Sir Vere Lester Bird was initially thought to have favoured Vere Jr.

The ALP leadership question was finally settled at the party's September 1993 convention, at which Lester Bird won the leadership of the party, defeating St Luce, 169 votes to 131.

Lester Bird took the portfolios for external affairs, planning, social services, and information for himself, and in a 1996 cabinet reshuffle took the communications, civil aviation, international transport, and gaming portfolios.

Lester Bird was reconfirmed as prime minister and elevated Vere Jr.

Lester Bird shuffled his own portfolios and by December 2002 held the foreign affairs, finance, legal affairs, justice, and national security ministries in addition to being the prime minister.

Lester Bird's party lost eight seats, and he himself was defeated by Errol Cort, who became Minister of Finance in the new UPP government.

Lester Bird remained the ALP's political leader following the party's 2004 defeat.

Lester Bird led the party in the March 2009 election; although the ALP lost the election, it gained 3 seats from the UPP and Bird defeated Cort by 96 votes in the St John's Rural East constituency, where he had lost in 2004.

Lester Bird subsequently held the position of Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition.

Lester Bird was succeeded as ALP leader by Gaston Browne in December 2012, who led the party to victory in June 2014 general election.