{{Short description|Turks and Caicos Islands politician (born 1973)}} {{about||the Bermudian-American physiologist and endocrinologist|Edwin B. Astwood}} {{BLP sources|date=July 2021}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = The Honourable | office = Leader of the Opposition | office2 = Leader of the People's Democratic Movement | honorific_suffix = MHA | term_start = 22 February 2021 | premier = Charles Washington Misick | term_start2 = 26 June 2021 | governor = Nigel Dakin | predecessor = Charles Washington Misick | predecessor2 = Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson | deputy2 = TBD | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1973|8|24}} | birth_place = Grand Turk | office1 = Member of Parliament for Grand Turk South & Salt Cay | term_start1 = 11 November 2012 | party = People's Democratic Movement | majority1 = 48 (49.3%) | alma_mater = Nova Southeastern University (MBA) <br /> University of Technology (B.S.) }} '''Edwin Andre Astwood'''<ref>{{Cite web|title=Hon. Edwin Astwood|url=https://gov.tc/hoa/hon-edwin-astwood|access-date=2021-07-08|website=gov.tc}}</ref> (born 24 August 1973) is a politician from the Turks and Caicos Islands who has been Leader of the Opposition since February 2021 and Leader of the PDM party since June 2021. He served as Minister of Health, Agriculture and Human Services from 2016 to 2021. Astwood has been a Member of the House of Assembly for Grand Turk South & Salt Cay since November 2012. He is the son of one of the founders of the People's Democratic Movement (PDM), Lewis Edwin Astwood III.
== Leadership of the People's Democratic Movement == Following the landslide victory of the PNP in the 2021 election, Astwood was the only candidate of his party to win his seat in the House of Assembly. Then Premier and Astwood's party leader, Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson stepped down as party leader in the days following and her deputy, Sean Astwood became the acting party leader until the party would be able to elect a leader at their next convention.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Former premier Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson resigns as PDM party leader, expresses gratitude|url=https://suntci.com/former-premier-sharlene-cartwrightrobinson-resigns-as-pdm-party-leader-ex-p5863-129.htm|access-date=2021-07-10|website=suntci.com}}</ref> Sean Astwood later announced his own resignation from leadership of the paper in June 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|title=PDM leader resigns from frontline politics|url=https://tcweeklynews.com/pdm-leader-resigns-from-frontline-politics-p11684-127.htm|access-date=2021-07-10|website=tcweeklynews.com}}</ref> After some weeks of uncertainty, at a virtual convention held on 26 June 2021, Edwin Astwood, Leader of the Opposition was appointed as the new leader of the PDM.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Edwin Astwood appointed as leader of PDM|url=https://tcweeklynews.com/edwin-astwood-appointed-as-leader-of-pdm-p11758-127.htm|access-date=2021-07-10|website=tcweeklynews.com}}</ref>
Under Astwood’s leadership, the PDM continued to face significant challenges. In the 2025 general election, the party experienced another historic defeat, securing only 2 of the 19 available seats in the House of Assembly.<ref>{{Cite web |title=PNP RE-ELECTED |url=https://suntci.com/pnp-reelected-p12247-129.htm |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=suntci.com}}</ref> This result marked one of the party's poorest performances in its history, raising questions about the party’s future direction and Astwood’s leadership.
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Astwood, Edwin}} Category:1973 births Category:Living people Category:Turks and Caicos Islands politicians Category:People's Democratic Movement (Turks and Caicos Islands) politicians Category:Members of the Turks and Caicos Islands House of Assembly Category:Government ministers of the Turks and Caicos Islands Category:Nova Southeastern University alumni