He began his Parliamentary career as a Senator in 1967 and received the portfolio of Education, succeeding Sir James Tudor.
He was elected to the House in the 1971 General Elections as MP for St Michael South. During this term he served as Education Minister, and then for a short while as Health Minister before the DLP lost the 1976 general election.
He served 10 years in opposition before returning to Government in 1986 as Deputy Prime Minister to Errol Walton Barrow, and as Education Minister. He became Prime Minister on Barrow’s death in 1987 and assumed the Finance and Economics portfolio.
Sir Lloyd served as Prime Minister until 1994 when he had to call an early election, and finally left the House in 1999 after losing the seat he had held since 1971.
It was Sir Lloyd who seriously began the task of restructuring and repositioning the economy after the crisis of the early 1990s.
Many things will be written about Sir Lloyd’s passing; his tenure as Barbados’ fourth Prime Minister; his role in shaping the DLP; in modernising education; reforming Barbados’ economy; and in his later years, opening doors to China as the country’s first Ambassador to that country.
However, what must be powerfully stated and remembered about our statesman, Sir Lloyd, was that he was a Barbadian patriot at his core. He left public life with an unblemished character and reputation, always putting country first. If you look up a definition of patriot and nation builder, you will find his name and his picture.
His Lord said unto him: “Well done, good and faithful servant…”
We extend condolences to Sir Lloyd’s family. He leaves to mourn Lady Sandiford, two of his three children (one daughter predeceased him), the Democratic Labour Party family and an entire nation.