This year stood as a milestone for Barbados, which marked 50 prosperous years of independence in 2016 — but could Bermuda learn from its example?

A leading tourist destination with a background in sugar production, Barbados has developed an impressively diverse economy and a largely high standard of living in the five decades since it ceased being a British colony.

For Carl Neblett, president of the Barbados Association of Bermuda, all countries that have opted to leave colonial rule are relevant if Bermuda were to examine the old question of whether or not to embrace independence.

“Bermuda can learn from every country’s example, not just Barbados — you can look at all the Caribbean countries that have gone independent and look at what it has done for them,” he told The Royal Gazette. “Not every country has been as successful as Barbados, but you can take the good and the bad out of what independence has bought.”

Barbados has enjoyed sovereignty since 1966, and its November 30 anniversary of independence is “by far one of the most important days” for its people, he said.

The island nicknamed “Little England” has “hung onto the British system of running their country”, as well as the British educational system, which flourished in Barbados.

Mr Neblett knew “nothing” about Bermuda when he moved here in 1987 on a whim: working back home as a policeman, he spotted an opportunity here and took the plunge out of “sheer curiosity”.

Thus he was well placed to observe the 1995 referendum on independence — when Bermudians decisively rejected severing ties with Britain.

“I don’t know if it was the perfect time for it or the worst, but the people spoke,” he said, noting the island was “very divided” on the issue — with opponents significantly outnumbering the pro-independence camp.

“Since then the stats haven’t changed that much as to who wants to maintain dependency and who wants to break away. Something drastic would have to happen for those who want to maintain to change their minds.”

Asked if 1966 had been empowering for Barbadians, Mr Neblett said: “It had to. You’re talking about a freedom — being in control of your autonomy, your destiny, and no longer relying on the mother country for assistance. Barbados took that leap and never looked back.”

In an open letter to the people of Barbados, Freundel Stuart, the Prime Minister, called the country’s Golden Jubilee “a signature moment in our nation’s history” — and said the island “must continue to make the transition to real independence”.

The contrasts between the two countries are considerable: “Unlike Barbados, Bermuda does not have the resources,” Mr Neblett pointed out.

“Barbados still has sugar that it can fall back on as an industry, and not everything is imported. Outside of international business, which is the number one sustaining factor, what does Bermuda really have? Can a country of 60,000 people become totally independent?

“People should be having this conversation if they want to run their own country.”

As it is, Bermuda’s self-governing system makes the island “semi-independent” to begin with.

“Bermuda has close ties to the UK but you have a close relationship with the United States. Bermuda has a lot going for it — it’s a non-American country that has a US gateway in it, which allows Bermudians to travel freely back and forth.”

Asked if he believed that Bermuda’s continued status as a British territory had an effect on the national psyche, Mr Neblett said: “That’s a question for the local population.

“Coming from someone who is considered a non-national — that would be very hard to say.”