Yes, he recently named his own candidates to challenge Tracy Panton in Albert, Godwin Haylock in Queen Square, and Patrick Faber in Collet. But he today held a full press conference and it wasn't about that. Barrow focused the conference on those burning national issues. But as Courtney Menzies found out, it wasn't what you would call a politically high voltage event:

This flyer inviting all to tune into the UDP's press conference on National Issues was sent out late last night. Five members of the party's shadow cabinet were set to speak.

But what promised to be a politically charged event was actually just one elected representative - Shyne Barrow - two executive members, one candidate, Dr. Nelma Jones Mortis and one newcomer, Carlos Perrera. Deputy party leader, Hugo Patt, was notably missing, despite his picture being on the flyer.

While the UDP has not announced their slate of 31, not even half showed up in support. Aside from the media, most of the chairs set out were left empty - apart from the candidate for Queen Square, Shane Williams, who doubled as the MC, and the new candidate for Collet, Gladys Paredes.

The next two hours were spent dissecting the issues plaguing the sectors of education, health, home affairs, transport and sports, and the overall state of life under the PUP. This conference set the stage for the party as the general election looms, and while Barrow has held solo press briefings before, he says today proved that the UDP is capable of unity.

Shyne Barrow, UDP Leader
"We would hope that today's performance and I true reflection of what I've been trying to do as party leader, where I have invited you to my office almost every other week to talk about national issues, it's just unfortunate that the only thing that ever make television are the sensational internal things."

But the verdict on whether this conference instilled confidence in the electorate is left to be seen. For now, the Shyne Barrow UDP awaits a high court decision that they expect will cement them as the one true UDP.