Upon the passing of Caribbean political stalwart Sir Lloyd Erskine Sandiford in July 2023, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles issued a statement in which he reflected on the unhurried and often unshakable nature of Sir Lloyd’s approach to divisiveness.

The core of his politics was grounded in ‘love of country’ and he insisted upon the imperative of publicly funded education for the masses. This was a principle of his social democracy and the vehicle on which his believed the nation would travel to economic prosperity and social stability.

Sir Lloyd was an intellectual product of the ideological vision of The UWI, committed to national independence and dignified nation building. Among other senior positions, he served as Prime Minister of Barbados and later as ambassador to China.

The UWI community celebrated him for living a life selflessly in the service of his people.