Pennelope Althea Beckles-Robinson (born 12 September 1961) is a Trinidadian attorney and politician. She has served as a Member of Parliament in the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entities. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often ...

for

Arima Arima, officially The Royal Chartered Borough of Arima is the easternmost and second largest in area of the three boroughs of Trinidad and Tobago. It is geographically adjacent to Sangre Grande and Arouca at the south central foothills of the ...

since the 2020 general election. She is the incumbent

Leader of the Opposition The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the Opposition (parliamentary), largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the ...

. Previously she was the country's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, as well as Minister of Planning and Development.

Early life and education

Beckles was born on 12 September 1961 in Borde Narve Village, three months before parliament history was created in Trinidad and Tobago growing up without electricity or running water. Her father, Lionel Beckles, worked for the

Oilfields Workers' Trade Union The Oilfields Workers' Trade Union (OWTU) is one of the most powerful trade unions in Trinidad and Tobago. Currently led by Ancel Roget, the union was born out of the Labour riots of 1937, 1937 labour riots, the union was nominally led by the ...

and she has four brothers and one sister. She attended St Raphael's Grade School and St Joseph's Convent, San Fernando. She graduated from the

University of the West Indies The University of the West Indies (UWI), originally University College of the West Indies, is a public university system established to serve the higher education needs of the residents of 18 English-speaking countries and territories in t ...

Barbados Barbados, officially the Republic of Barbados, is an island country in the Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies and the easternmost island of the Caribbean region. It lies on the boundary of the South American ...

, and the

Hugh Wooding Law School The Hugh Wooding Law School (HWLS) is a law school in Trinidad and Tobago. History Named for Trinidad and Tobago jurist and politician Hugh Wooding, HWLS is one of three law schools empowered by the (Caribbean) Council of Legal Education to a ...

Career

Beckles has practised as an attorney since 1988, attached to the Chambers of Theodore R Guerra and Associates. Beckles first entered parliament when she was appointed an opposition

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...

for the

People's National Movement The People's National Movement (PNM) is the longest-serving and oldest active Politics of Trinidad and Tobago, political party in Trinidad and Tobago. The party has dominated national and local politics for much of Trinidad and Tobago's hist ...

(PNM) in 1995. She was then elected to the

representing the

constituency in 2000, serving until 2010. She was appointed Minister for Social Development in 2001, Minister for Culture and Tourism in 2002, and Minister for Public Utilities and the Environment in 2003. Beckles was Trinidad and Tobago's first female Deputy Speaker of the Parliament from 2007 until 2010 and served as Leader of Opposition Business from 2010 until 2013. In November 2012, she was elected lady vice-chair of the PNM, but she was dropped from the senate by party leader Keith Rowley in December 2013. In the 2014 People's National Movement leadership election, Beckles unsuccessfully challenged Rowley for the leadership of the party. On 4 February 2015, she was rejected in her bid to represent the PNM for the constituency of Arima in the 2015 general election. Beckles was appointed Trinidad and Tobago's Permanent Representative to the UN by

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

Rowley in August 2016. She postponed taking up the appointment to attend the funeral of former Prime Minister

Patrick Manning Patrick Augustus Mervyn Manning (17 August 1946 – 2 July 2016) was a Trinidadian politician who served as the fourth prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago twice from 1991 to 1995, and again from 2001 to 2010. A geologist by training, Mannin ...

in July. She was appointed as Minister of Planning and Development on 16 March 2022 following a cabinet reshuffle. Following the

2025 Trinidad and Tobago general election General elections were held in Trinidad and Tobago on 28 April 2025 to elect all 41 members of the House of Representatives. President Christine Kangaloo, on the advice of Prime Minister Stuart Young, dissolved parliament and issued the writs ...

, on Wednesday, 30 April 2025, she was selected to be Leader of the Opposition within the People's National Movement by a slim 7-6 margin. She is the PNM's first female opposition leader.

Personal life

Beckles married Noel Robinson in December 2008, and she has four stepchildren. She also became the guardian of her ten-year-old niece after her sister Michelle died in 2015.

Electoral history

References