–President says, as last founding member of the PPP passes on
ATTORNEY-AT-LAW Ashton Chase, a founding member of Guyana’s People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and a prominent figure in the country’s political, legal, and labour history, passed away on Monday evening.
Chase, 96, had been a key member of the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) which preceded the PPP, and was hailed as one of Guyana’s finest legal minds and a pillar of the nation’s trade union movement.
Having dedicated several decades to the legal profession, with a specialisation in labour law, Chase made significant contributions to the field.

He served as the President of the Guyana Bar Association and authored influential works on Guyana’s labour scene, including “A History of Trade Unions in Guyana” and “133 Days to Freedom.”
President, Dr. Irfaan Ali expressed deep condolences to Chase’s family and emphasized the irreplaceable loss to the nation. He lauded Chase’s remarkable contributions to Guyana’s nationalist struggle and political history.

“His death represents an incalculable loss to our nation. His name and contributions will forever be etched in our country’s political, labour, and legal history. He made an exceptional contribution to Guyana’s nationalist struggle and political history…He was among our finest legal minds and was a pillar of our country’s early trade union activism, authoring the most authoritative work on our trade union history,” the President said.

The General Secretary of the PPP/C, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, also mourned the loss of Chase, acknowledging him as an extraordinary human being.
“Our country owes an eternal debt of gratitude to this outstanding son of the soil. Guyana has lost an amazing human being,” Dr. Jagdeo said.

Chase’s political career was intertwined with the trade union movement and the prominent figures of his time. He worked closely with Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow, the father of trade unionism in Guyana, and former President Dr. Cheddi Jagan.
His involvement in the PAC, which eventually was transformed into the PPP, solidified his position as a central figure in Guyana’s politics.

Chase held the position of Minister of Labour, Trade, and Industry in the first PPP government in 1953.
One of Chase’s notable contributions was his instrumental role in introducing a labour relations bill in response to a strike by the Guiana Industrial Workers Union seeking recognition from the powerful Sugar Producers’ Association.
The strike, which received support from PPP leaders, caused concern among the United States, fearing its potential spread to other territories.

The British government, responding to the situation, suspended the constitution and removed Chase and the PPP government from office in October 1953. Chase had believed that this event altered the course of politics in Guyana and led to compromises that diluted the pursuit of meaningful change.
Following suspension of the constitution, Chase pursued further education in England, where he studied law and was called to the bar at Gray’s Inn in 1957.

He later returned to Guyana and served as a Member of Parliament from 1964 to 1968. Although he did not hold political office again, Chase remained an influential figure in the legal and professional spheres. Chase’s contributions extended beyond politics and law.
Chase served as a member of the Public Service Commission from 1970 to 1974 and held the position of Vice President of the Guyana Economic Society from 1971 to 1973.

Additionally, Chase was actively involved in the Guyana Bar Association, serving as its president for several terms from the 1980s to 1998.
He also played a significant role in legal education as a member and chairman of the Council of Legal Education, responsible for training attorneys in the Commonwealth Caribbean.

In his later years, Ashton Chase published several notable works, including “Trade Union Law in the Caribbean,” “Glimpses of the Growth of Trade Unions in the Commonwealth Caribbean,” and “Guyana—A Nation in Transit—Burnham’s Role.”
Chase was listed as one of the top 10 professionals for 2012 by the International Biographical Centre (IBC) of Cambridge, England.