The desire for independence dominated politics until the 1980s. It was the PUP, under George Price, that negotiated independence from the British in 1981.
During the 1984û1989 UDP administration, the maintenance of a pro-US line and fears of communism in the region were the main concerns. The PUP won power back from the UDP in 1989 and today the state of the economy is the key issue. In the absence of any major ideological or policy distinctions between the PUP and UDP, which are both centrist, elections are fought mostly on candidates' records and personalities.