Stuart Young

{{Short description|Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago in 2025}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix = The Honourable

| name = Stuart Young

| honorific-suffix = SC MP

| image = Stuart Young 2016 (cropped).jpg

| alt = A man in a suit with black hair and glasses facing the camera

| caption = Young in 2017

| order = 8th

| office = Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago

| president = Christine Kangaloo

| term_start = 17 March 2025

| term_end = 28 Apr. 2025

| predecessor = Keith Rowley

| successor = Kamla Persad-Bissessar

| office1 = Member of Parliament
for Port-of-Spain North/St. Ann's West

| term_start1 = 7 September 2015

| term_end1 =

| predecessor1 = Patricia McIntosh

| successor1 =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1975|2|9|df=y}}

| birth_place = Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago

| death_date =

| death_place =

| party = People's National Movement

| alma_mater = {{unbulleted list|University of Nottingham}}

}}

Stuart Richard Young (born 9 February 1975) is a Trinidad and Tobago attorney and politician who served as the eighth prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago between March and April 2025. As member of the People's National Movement (PNM), he has been a member of parliament (MP) in the House of Representatives for Port-of-Spain North/St. Ann's West since 2015.

He was the Minister of Energy and Energy Industries and Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister. On 6 January 2025, it was announced Young would be the presumptive nominee to succeed as prime minister in August 2025 when Keith Rowley intends to resign from representational politics.{{cite web | url=https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/caribbean/20250106/stuart-young-replace-rowley-trinidads-prime-minister | title=Stuart Young to replace Rowley as Trinidad's prime minister | date=6 January 2025 }} Young has previously held the posts of Minister of National Security, Minister in the Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs and Minister of Communications. Young was appointed a Senior Counsel on 20 June 2024.{{Cite web |last=Webb |first=Yvonne |date=15 June 2024 |title=Young humbled and grateful for silk recognition |url=https://newsday.co.tt/2024/06/15/young-humbled-and-grateful-for-silk-recognition/ |access-date=25 June 2024 |website=Trinidad and Tobago Newsday |language=en-US}}

Young lead the PNM into the 2025 Trinidad and Tobago general election which was lost to Kamla Persad-Bissessar of the United National Congress (UNC).{{Cite web |title=Kamla Persad-Bissessar to be sworn-in as Prime Minister on May 1 |url=https://www.guardian.co.tt/news/kamla-persadbissessar-to-be-swornin-as-prime-minister-on-may-1-6.2.2295323.cfebfccef1 |access-date=2025-05-01 |website=www.guardian.co.tt |language=en}} In the aftermath of the election, Young resigned as PNM party chairman on April 30.{{Cite news |date=2025-04-30 |title=Stuart Young resigns as PNM chairman |url=https://trinidadexpress.com/newsextra/stuart-young-resigns-as-pnm-chairman/article_5e856a1d-acde-430c-aacf-3c33e7d324af.html |access-date=2025-04-30 |work=Trinidad and Tobago Express}}

Early life and education

Young was born on Henry Street, Port of Spain, on 9 February 1975 to Richard Peter Young, a Chinese Trinidadian, and Priscilla Hosein, an Indo-Trinidadian. He was raised Catholic but his mother is Muslim and grew up on Lal Beharry Trace in Debe.{{cite web | url=https://trinidadexpress.com/news/local/stuart-still-visits-relatives-in-debe/article_0b168a5c-dd1a-11ef-83eb-ab4185fb6f44.amp.html | title=Stuart still visits relatives in Debe | date=28 January 2025 }}{{cite web |title=Stuart's root is Lal Beharry Trace, Penal |url=https://trinidadexpress.com/news/local/stuarts-root-is-lal-beharry-trace-penal/article_20d498e6-db91-11ef-b6ac-f3fff5e8af01.html |publisher=Trinidad Express |access-date=28 January 2025 |date=26 January 2025}}{{cite web |date=7 January 2025 |title=Young all along |url=https://newsday.co.tt/2025/01/07/young-all-along/ |access-date=28 January 2025 |publisher=Trinidad and Tobago Newsday}} He was the oldest of three children. He attended St Mary's College in Port of Spain, where he was a head altar boy. He considered becoming a priest or accountant but ultimately decided to pursue law at the University of Nottingham in England.{{Cite news |date=28 March 2021 |title=Stuart Young's life outside politics |work=Trinidad and Tobago Guardian |url=https://www.guardian.co.tt/news/stuart-youngs-life-outside-politics-6.2.1307383.ac7e604156 |access-date=27 March 2022}}{{Cite web |title=PM breaks silence on viral post about incident he was involved in 33 years ago |url=https://www.guardian.co.tt/news/pm-breaks-silence-on-viral-post-about-incident-he-was-involved-in-33-years-ago-6.2.2260914.1b78a7df6a |access-date=2025-03-21 |website=Guardian |language=en}} While in school he participated in competitive swimming, cycling, and running, as well as being a member of the Trinidad and Tobago Sea Scouts.{{Cite web |title=PM Young—Attorney, father of two and steelpan lover |url=https://www.guardian.co.tt/news/pm-youngattorney-father-of-two-and-steelpan-lover-6.2.2260057.b8cd21bb4c |access-date=2025-03-21 |website=Guardian |language=en}} He was called to the Bar of England and Wales as a junior barrister at Gray's Inn in July 1997.{{Cite news |date=14 July 2020 |title=Stuart Young {{!}} PNM: PoS North/St Ann West |language=en |website=Trinidad and Tobago Express |url=https://trinidadexpress.com/elections/2020/candidates/pnm/stuart-young-pnm-pos-north-st-ann-west/article_72839be2-c5e8-11ea-96b3-abb8a81590c3.html |access-date=27 March 2022}} The following year, he received a legal education certificate from the Hugh Wooding Law School and was admitted to the bar in Trinidad and Tobago. He was also admitted to the bars of the Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda.

Young has appeared as counsel in various commissions of enquiry, including the Piarco Commission of Enquiry, the Commission of Enquiry into the Construction Sector and the Commission of Enquiry into the Hindu Credit Union and CL Financial.{{Cite web |title=The Honourable Stuart Young, MP |url=http://www.ttparliament.org/members.php?mid=54&id=SYO14 |access-date=27 March 2022 |website=Trinidad and Tobago Parliament}} He served on the American Chamber of Commerce legislative committee, as a board member of FUNDAID, and as a council member of the Law Association of Trinidad and Tobago. He is the chair and a founding member of Synergy Entertainment Network Limited and W.I. Sports Limited.

Political career

File:2016 TT Independence Day 05.jpg and John L. Estrada in 2016|alt=Three men wearing suits speaking with each other]]

Young began his political career on 18 March 2014, serving as a temporary Opposition Senator during the 4th Session of the 10th Republican Parliament. The following year, he was successfully chosen as the PNM candidate to be the Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives for Port of Spain North/Saint Ann's West. He was elected into office on 7 September 2015.{{Cite web|title=Office of The Prime Minister – Republic of Trinidad and Tobago|url=http://www.opm.gov.tt/|access-date=28 May 2021|website=Office of The Prime Minister}} Following the election, he was appointed as a Minister in the Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs on 11 September 2015, a post that he held until 5 August 2018.{{Cite news |date=11 September 2015 |title=New T&T Cabinet sworn in |work=Stabroek News |url=https://www.stabroeknews.com/2015/09/11/news/guyana/new-tt-cabinet-sworn-in/ |access-date=27 March 2022}}

On 17 March 2016, he was assigned to the additional position of Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister. From 7 June 2018 until 20 July 2019, he was Minister of Communications and from 6 August 2018 until 18 April 2021, he was Minister of National Security. He has been described as the "Minister of Everything".{{Cite news |last=Connelly |first=Corey |date=11 August 2018 |title=Young, moving on up |language=en-US |website=Trinidad and Tobago Newsday |url=https://newsday.co.tt/2018/08/11/young-moving-on-up/ |url-status=live |access-date=28 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210428094956/https://newsday.co.tt/2018/08/11/young-moving-on-up/ |archive-date=28 April 2021}} Young also serves as chairman of the Finance & General Purposes Committee of the Cabinet (F&GP), as well as being a member of the National Security Council (NSC), the Energy Standing Committee, the Human Advisory Committee, the Committee of Privileges and the Statutory Instruments Committee.{{Cite web |title=Minister of Energy and Energy Industries |url=https://www.energy.gov.tt/minister-of-energy-and-energy-industries/ |access-date=27 March 2022 |website=Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries}}

Young was re-elected to office during the 2020 general election on 10 August 2020. He was appointed to the joint select committee for Energy Affairs and the Cannabis Control Bill, 2020 on 9 November 2020.{{Cite news |last=Douglas |first=Sean |date=11 November 2020 |title=House names MPs to 20 committees |language=en-US |website=Trinidad and Tobago Newsday |url=https://newsday.co.tt/2020/11/11/house-names-mps-to-20-committees/ |access-date=22 March 2022}} He was also a co-chair of the Government Empowered Negotiating Team for energy.{{Cite web |date=9 September 2020 |title=Execution of various contracts negotiated by the GORTT empowered negotiation team and BPTT- Phase 1b |url=http://www.news.gov.tt/content/execution-various-contracts-negotiated-gortt-empowered-negotiation-team-and-bptt-phase-1b#.YkBvIufMI2x |access-date=27 March 2022 |website=Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries}} On 19 April 2021, he was re-assigned as Minister of Energy and Energy Industries to take over from Franklin Khan, who died in office.{{Cite news |date=27 April 2021 |title=Revocation and Re-assignment of Responsibility of the Minister of Energy and Energy Industries |website=Trinidad and Tobago Gazette |url=http://news.gov.tt/sites/default/files/E-Gazette/Gazette%202021/Gazettes/Gazette%20No.%2061%20of%202021.pdf |access-date=27 March 2022}}{{Cite news |last=Hamilton-Davis |first=Ryan |date=19 April 2021 |title=Stuart Young is new Energy Minister |work=Trinidad and Tobago Newsday |url=https://newsday.co.tt/2021/04/19/stuart-young-is-new-energy-minister/ |access-date=27 March 2022}}

In December 2022, Young was elected as the Chairman of the PNM.{{Cite web |title=Rowley retains leadership of PNM |url=https://tt.loopnews.com/content/rowley-retains-leadership-pnm |access-date=7 March 2023 |website=Loop News |language=en}} After the party's defeat in the 2025 general election, Young resigned party chairman.{{Cite news |date=2025-04-30 |title=Stuart Young resigns as PNM chairman |url=https://trinidadexpress.com/newsextra/stuart-young-resigns-as-pnm-chairman/article_5e856a1d-acde-430c-aacf-3c33e7d324af.html |access-date=2025-04-30 |work=Trinidad and Tobago Express}}

On 3 January 2025, Prime Minister Keith Rowley announced his intention to resign as Prime Minister before elections are constitutionally due later this year. On 26 February 2025, Prime Minister Keith Rowley announced he would officially resign from office on 16 March.{{Cite web |title=PM announces resignation date as March 16 |url=https://www.guardian.co.tt/news/pm-announces-resignation-date-as-march-16-6.2.2242621.4d47dbb3b0 |access-date=27 February 2025 |website=Guardian |language=en}} On 6 January 2025, Stuart Young was elected by the PNM Parliamentary caucus as Prime Minister designate.{{Cite web |date=6 January 2025 |title=Stuart Young picked to be PM |url=https://newsday.co.tt/2025/01/06/stuart-young-picked-to-be-pm/ |access-date=7 January 2025 |website=Trinidad and Tobago Newsday |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=11–9 vote in favour of Young confirmed by PNM party official |url=https://www.guardian.co.tt/news/119-vote-in-favour-of-young-confirmed-by-pnm-party-official-6.2.2200867.1d27e294d2 |access-date=17 March 2025 |website=Guardian |language=en}} He won with 11 votes to Pennelope Beckles-Robinson's nine. He replaced Rowley on 17 March 2025, becoming Trinidad and Tobago's 8th Prime Minister.{{Cite web |title=Stuart Young is the new Prime Minister, Camille Robinson-Regis is AG |url=https://www.guardian.co.tt/news/stuart-young-is-the-new-prime-minister-camille-robinsonregis-is-ag-6.2.2258494.e75abfb3ba |access-date=17 March 2025 |website=Guardian |language=en}}

After becoming Prime Minister, a social media post about the incident of him being accused of bullying became popular, and Young responded a few days later saying that bullying in Trinidad and Tobago could not be overlooked. Barry Padarath, the MP for Princes Town, asked Young to apologise.{{Cite web |date=2025-03-19 |title=The baton attack on teen Stuart |url=https://trinidadexpress.com/news/local/the-baton-attack-on-teen-stuart/article_624f202e-0473-11f0-b0f5-0b2640508047.html |access-date=2025-03-21 |website=Trinidad Express Newspapers |language=en}}

Five hours after assuming his role as Prime Minister, Young changed Rowley's cabinet. He appointed Vishnu Dhanpaul, the former Trinidadian High Commissioner to Canada, as finance minister. He also replaced Reginald Armour with Camille Robinson-Regis, the former housing minister, as the new attorney general. He also replaced the security minister, Fitzgerald Hinds, with Marvin Gonzales, in turn replacing Robinson-Regis as housing minister with Adrian Leonce. Hassel Bacchus stayed as digital transformation minister, as well as taking on the role of junior finance minister.{{Cite web |last=Wilkinson |first=Bert |date=2025-03-20 |title=New Trinidadian Prime Minister Stuart Young adjusts cabinet |url=https://www.caribbeanlife.com/new-trinidadian-prime-minister-young-adjusts-cabinet/ |access-date=2025-03-21 |website=Caribbean Life |language=en-US}}

On his second day in office, Young advised President Christine Kangaloo to dissolve parliament and call an election for 28 April.{{Cite news |last=Charles |first=Jacqueline |date=18 March 2025 |title=A day after becoming prime minister, Trinidad's Stuart Young calls for new elections |url=https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/article302303329.html |access-date=21 March 2025 |work=Miami Herald}}