| Description | Nationalist, liberal party led and launched in 1955 by Eric Williams, considered the father of the country, until his death in 1981.
Elections held in 1956 gave it a majority in a legislative council containing 26 members, 18 of them elected. Edwards led constitutional talks with the UK in 1959–60, resulting in full internal self-government and a bicameral legislature (nominated Senate and elected House of Representatives). The general election of 1961 was again won by the PNM, which implemented the new constitution, a mandate to negotiate independence from the UK in August 1962, and to initiate a republic in 1976.
After George Chambers took over the party and the prime ministership in 1981, the PNM presided over an nation-wide economic collapse, and was ousted in 1986 by a coalition of opposition parties called the National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR) led by A. N. R. Robinson, losing 33–3.
After Robinson and members of parliament were taken hostage by a militant Muslim faction in July 1990, displays of cowardice under fire all but destroyed the NAR coalition, and the PNM under Patrick Manning, won overwhelmingly in the December 1991 election.
Party has been led by Keith Rowley since September 5, 2015.
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