seat by a wide margin, though his opponent did better than expected. The UWP put up a tough election campaign but they lost one seat in the parliament and remained in opposition. This second loss by the party evinced the need for a change of political leadership. Williams had become a very important member of the party, and he along with Julius Timothy were the main contenders for the leadership. In October 2005, he was called to the bar and this enhanced his chances of becoming the party leader. In December 2005, Edison James stood down as political leader and Williams replaced him. His election alienated Julius Timothy, who as deputy leader under James thought he would have easily secured the leadership. This resulted in Timothy crossing the floor and joining the DLP government in September 2006. In July 2007 Edison James resigned as leader of the opposition and Williams assumed that office. In July 2008 Williams, in his capacity as an attorney, became embroiled in a controversy concerning a land deal. Resignation On July 30, 2008, in light of the controversy and in the interest of the party, Williams announced his resignation as Leader of the Opposition and as party leader of the United Workers' Party. However, he stated that after consultation with his constituents, he was "duty bound to honour the wishes of the people of Salisbury constituency" and continue as their Member of Parliament. This came days after Williams led an opposition boycott of Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit's budget address to highlight allegations of corruption against Skerrit. References External links United Workers Party website 1964 births Living people Members of the House of Assembly of Dominica University of the West Indies alumni United Workers' Party (Dominica) politicians Government ministers of Dominica