John Compton
Encyclopedia
Sir John George Melvin Compton, KBE
, PC
(April 29, 1925 – September 7, 2007) was the first, fifth and eighth Prime Minister of Saint Lucia
in 1979, from 1982 to 1996, and from 2006 until his death. Compton, who previously led Saint Lucia under British
rule from 1964 to 1979, was the country's first leader when it became independent in February 1979. He led the conservative
United Workers Party
(UWP) from 1964 until 1996, and again from 2005 to 2007.
, St. Vincent and the Grenadines. In September 1939, he was taken to Saint Lucia. While studying law and economics, Compton attended the University College of Wales from 1948 to 1949 and the London School of Economics
from 1949 to 1951; he was called to the Bar
on August 7, 1951. His political career began in 1954, when he ran as an independent for the seat from Micoud/Dennery in Saint Lucia and was elected. He was appointed to the Executive Council and, under the Committee System then used, became Member for Social Affairs until the end of the Committee System in 1956. In the latter year, he joined the Saint Lucia Labour Party
(SLP). He notably participated in a sugar workers' strike in 1957, and was fined for obstructing roads. Re-elected in 1957, he became Minister for Trade and Production in 1958, and also became deputy leader of the SLP, under George Charles
. In 1960 he was named Minister of Trade and Industry under Charles, who became Chief Minister. Compton was again re-elected in 1961, but chose not to join the Executive Council; objecting to the choice of ministers, he quit the SLP and along with his supporters he formed a new party, the National Labour Movement, in the same year.
In 1964, together with another opposition party, the People's Progressive Party, he and the National Labour Movement formed a new party, the United Workers' Party (UWP). This new party won the election held in June 1964, and Compton became Chief Minister.
of the United Kingdom, a move closer to independence that placed the Saint Lucian government fully in charge of the island's internal affairs, on March 1, 1967, Compton became Premier. At the conference leading to this, from April to May 1966, Compton sharply criticized the British government for excluding certain issues, and accused it of favoring "second-class citizenship for people of another color". In 1968, he married Barbara Janice Clarke, with whom he would have five children.
Following the UWP's victory in the 1974 election, Compton pushed for negotiations leading to independence, which was achieved on February 22, 1979; Compton became the newly independent nation's first Prime Minister.
. Compton became a legal consultant.
In office, Compton's policies were conservative, pro-Western and anti-communist. He also worked for increased regional integration, and upon leaving office in 1996 he mentioned it as a disappointment that the region's population remained a "divided people scattered over the Caribbean Sea".
; he received 260 votes against 135 for Vaughan Lewis. In spite of being labeled a geriatric by the governing St Lucia Labour Party
, Compton led the UWP to a surprising victory
on December 11, 2006; he was elected to the seat from Micoud North, winning an easy victory over SLP candidate Silas Wilson. He was sworn in as Prime Minister on December 15. His cabinet was sworn in on December 19; with Compton as Prime Minister and Finance Minister.
As Compton prepared for and campaigned for the 2006 poll, he faced doubts about how capable he was of holding office, considering his advanced age. Compton, however, gave the appearance of being fit and ready for leadership. He was quoted as saying that he was not preparing to run in the Olympics but for leadership of the nation.
His immense popularity there was sustained through three generations so much so that when he returned to the fray for the very last time in the elections of 2006, after being 10 years and two elections away, he was bluntly told by supporters that he need not organize any major campaign. The result: Compton easily won the contest by more than 1,000 votes to become the representative of Micoud North for the very first time.
Compton as an Independent won his debut election contest in 1954 carrying away 51 percent of the total votes. But after the 1957 strike his personal popularity soared and in successive elections his share of the votes was often in excess of 90 percent.
In nearby Dennery, he was able to call the shots there as well as to who should run that constituency. But all that changed in 1979 when Compton’s stranglehold on the eastern felt began to flag. In that year,
1954—MICOUD DENNERY
J.G.M Compton (Ind.) 1404
L. Williams (PPP) 546
James L. Charles (SLP) 402
Francis G. Charles 389
1957—MICOUD DENNERY
J.G.M Compton (SLP) 3621
Harold F.C.Simmons (PPP) 137
1961 MICOUD-PRASLIN
J.G.M Compton (SLP) 1488
Antoine Theodore (PPP) 96
1964—MICOUD-PRASLIN
J.G.M Compton (UWP) 1532
George Murray (SLP) 80
J.L. Lubin (Ind). 45
1969—MICOUD-PRASLIN
J.G.M Compton (UWP) 2047
George Murray (SLP) 185
1974—MICOUD SOUTH
J.G.M Compton (UWP) 1009
Francis Flood (Ind.) 227
1979—MICOUD SOUTH
J.G.M Compton (UWP) 1221
Raymond Flood (SLP) 469
1982—MICOUD SOUTH
J.G.M Compton (UWP) 1529
Henry. Marquis (SLP) 169
S. Mathurin (PLP) 78
6th. April 1987—MICOUD SOUTH
J.G.M Compton ( UWP) 1589
Henry Marquis (SLP) 289
Lazarus Jn. Baptiste (PLP) 145
30th. April 1987—MICOUD SOUTH
J.G.M Compton (UWP) 1792
Henry Marquis (SLP) 357
1992—MICOUD SOUTH
J.G.M Compton (UWP) 1792
Vernantius James (SLP) 680
2006—MICOUD NORTH
J.G.M Compton (UWP) 2142
Silas Wilson (SLP) 1091
Patrick Joseph (Ind) 110
after he suffered a series of strokes which left him physically impaired. He fell ill while visiting a doctor for a normal checkup.
On May 16, Leonard Montoute, who serves as St. Lucia's Sports Minister and deputy leader of the United Workers Party
, said that Compton was unable to stand or walk on his own and that the cabinet would select a new Prime Minister to lead the island nation.
Compton returned to Saint Lucia on May 19. He temporarily resumed power in early June to oversee a cabinet reshuffle, in which he remained Prime Minister but gave up the finance portfolio to Acting Prime Minister Stephenson King
. King said on June 8 that Compton's condition was improving. On July 11, he attended a meeting with several cabinet ministers, the first time he had done so since the strokes.
In late July, it was announced that Compton would resign by the end of 2007. On August 26, Compton was admitted to the Tapion Hospital in Castries
because he was having trouble breathing due to pneumonia
. While there, it was learned that he had suffered another stroke while recovering from the previous strokes. On September 1, he was flown to Martinique
for treatment of his pneumonia. While there, his condition worsened and he was placed on a ventilator. On September 4, doctors decided that his condition was hopeless; on September 5, he was returned to the Tapion Hospital in Saint Lucia to die. He died there on September 7, 2007. Acting Prime Minister King declared two weeks of mourning, beginning on September 8.
A state funeral was held for Compton in Castries, at the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception
, on September 18. Despite Compton's Anglican faith, the local Catholic church was used due to the large number of mourners and at the request of Sir John. The funeral services held in Micoud on 16 September and at the Minor Basilica on 18 September were in keeping with the requests of Sir John for his funeral service, including the hymns which were specifically requested by him. He was cremated on 19 September and his ashes spread in the Troumasse River at his estate in Mahaut upon his request.
In a by-election held on November 26, 2007, Compton's daughter Janine Compton-Rambally won his constituency of Micoud North.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, PC
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
(April 29, 1925 – September 7, 2007) was the first, fifth and eighth Prime Minister of Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia is an island country in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. Part of the Lesser Antilles, it is located north/northeast of the island of Saint Vincent, northwest of Barbados and south of Martinique. It covers a land area of 620 km2 and has an...
in 1979, from 1982 to 1996, and from 2006 until his death. Compton, who previously led Saint Lucia under British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
rule from 1964 to 1979, was the country's first leader when it became independent in February 1979. He led the conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
United Workers Party
United Workers Party (Saint Lucia)
The United Workers Party is a conservative political party in Saint Lucia, led by Prime Minister Stephenson King and previously by John Compton.-History:...
(UWP) from 1964 until 1996, and again from 2005 to 2007.
Early life and beginnings of political career
Compton was born in 1925 in CanouanCanouan
Canouan is an island in the Grenadines Islands belonging to St Vincent. It is a tiny island, measuring only 3.5 miles by 1.25 miles.A barrier reef runs along the Atlantic side of the island. The highest point on the island is Mount Royal. Two bays, Glossy and Friendship, separate the southern side...
, St. Vincent and the Grenadines. In September 1939, he was taken to Saint Lucia. While studying law and economics, Compton attended the University College of Wales from 1948 to 1949 and the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
from 1949 to 1951; he was called to the Bar
Bar (law)
Bar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...
on August 7, 1951. His political career began in 1954, when he ran as an independent for the seat from Micoud/Dennery in Saint Lucia and was elected. He was appointed to the Executive Council and, under the Committee System then used, became Member for Social Affairs until the end of the Committee System in 1956. In the latter year, he joined the Saint Lucia Labour Party
Saint Lucia Labour Party
The Saint Lucia Labour Party is a social democratic political party in Saint Lucia. It currently holds ten of the 17 seats in the House of Assembly.-History:...
(SLP). He notably participated in a sugar workers' strike in 1957, and was fined for obstructing roads. Re-elected in 1957, he became Minister for Trade and Production in 1958, and also became deputy leader of the SLP, under George Charles
George Charles
Sir George Frederick Lawrence Charles is a former trade unionist, politician, founder of the Saint Lucia Labour Party and Chief Minister of Saint Lucia . He is a recipient of Saint Lucia's second-highest honour, the St. Lucia Cross , and was knighted in 1988 by Queen Elizabeth II. George F. L...
. In 1960 he was named Minister of Trade and Industry under Charles, who became Chief Minister. Compton was again re-elected in 1961, but chose not to join the Executive Council; objecting to the choice of ministers, he quit the SLP and along with his supporters he formed a new party, the National Labour Movement, in the same year.
In 1964, together with another opposition party, the People's Progressive Party, he and the National Labour Movement formed a new party, the United Workers' Party (UWP). This new party won the election held in June 1964, and Compton became Chief Minister.
Administration under British rule, 1964–1979
In office, Compton worked for Saint Lucia's independence from British rule. When Saint Lucia became an Associated StateAssociated state
An associated state is the minor partner in a formal, free relationship between a political territory with a degree of statehood and a nation, for which no other specific term, such as protectorate, is adopted...
of the United Kingdom, a move closer to independence that placed the Saint Lucian government fully in charge of the island's internal affairs, on March 1, 1967, Compton became Premier. At the conference leading to this, from April to May 1966, Compton sharply criticized the British government for excluding certain issues, and accused it of favoring "second-class citizenship for people of another color". In 1968, he married Barbara Janice Clarke, with whom he would have five children.
Following the UWP's victory in the 1974 election, Compton pushed for negotiations leading to independence, which was achieved on February 22, 1979; Compton became the newly independent nation's first Prime Minister.
As Prime Minister and in opposition, 1979–1996
A few months after independence, the UWP was defeated in an election by the SLP, and Compton became Leader of the Opposition. The SLP government collapsed in January 1982, and the UWP won the subsequent election in May 1982; Compton became Prime Minister again. He remained in office until he retired in 1996; he was replaced by his chosen successor, Vaughan LewisVaughan Lewis
Vaughan Lewis is a Saint Lucian politician and a former member of the ruling United Workers' Party . He served for a brief period as the fourth Prime Ministers of Saint Lucia following the resignation of John Compton. Lewis, a former director of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States,...
. Compton became a legal consultant.
In office, Compton's policies were conservative, pro-Western and anti-communist. He also worked for increased regional integration, and upon leaving office in 1996 he mentioned it as a disappointment that the region's population remained a "divided people scattered over the Caribbean Sea".
Return to politics
On March 13, 2005, the UWP elected Compton, then 80 years old, as its leader again at a party convention in SoufriereSoufrière, Saint Lucia
Soufrière is a quarter on the Southwest coast of Saint Lucia in the West Indies. Soufrière was the former capital of Saint Lucia during times of French rule. It is now a small sleepy fishing port with an emerging tourism industry...
; he received 260 votes against 135 for Vaughan Lewis. In spite of being labeled a geriatric by the governing St Lucia Labour Party
Saint Lucia Labour Party
The Saint Lucia Labour Party is a social democratic political party in Saint Lucia. It currently holds ten of the 17 seats in the House of Assembly.-History:...
, Compton led the UWP to a surprising victory
Saint Lucian general election, 2006
The 2006 Saint Lucia general election took place in Saint Lucia on 11 December 2006. The election was fought between the Saint Lucia Labour Party and the United Workers Party which between them dominated politics in Saint Lucia...
on December 11, 2006; he was elected to the seat from Micoud North, winning an easy victory over SLP candidate Silas Wilson. He was sworn in as Prime Minister on December 15. His cabinet was sworn in on December 19; with Compton as Prime Minister and Finance Minister.
As Compton prepared for and campaigned for the 2006 poll, he faced doubts about how capable he was of holding office, considering his advanced age. Compton, however, gave the appearance of being fit and ready for leadership. He was quoted as saying that he was not preparing to run in the Olympics but for leadership of the nation.
Election history
John Compton dug his political roots in the eastern sugar belt in 1954 and thanks to his involvement in the 1957 sugar strike, they remained planted there throughout a full half century.His immense popularity there was sustained through three generations so much so that when he returned to the fray for the very last time in the elections of 2006, after being 10 years and two elections away, he was bluntly told by supporters that he need not organize any major campaign. The result: Compton easily won the contest by more than 1,000 votes to become the representative of Micoud North for the very first time.
Compton as an Independent won his debut election contest in 1954 carrying away 51 percent of the total votes. But after the 1957 strike his personal popularity soared and in successive elections his share of the votes was often in excess of 90 percent.
In nearby Dennery, he was able to call the shots there as well as to who should run that constituency. But all that changed in 1979 when Compton’s stranglehold on the eastern felt began to flag. In that year,
1954—MICOUD DENNERY
J.G.M Compton (Ind.) 1404
L. Williams (PPP) 546
James L. Charles (SLP) 402
Francis G. Charles 389
1957—MICOUD DENNERY
J.G.M Compton (SLP) 3621
Harold F.C.Simmons (PPP) 137
1961 MICOUD-PRASLIN
J.G.M Compton (SLP) 1488
Antoine Theodore (PPP) 96
1964—MICOUD-PRASLIN
J.G.M Compton (UWP) 1532
George Murray (SLP) 80
J.L. Lubin (Ind). 45
1969—MICOUD-PRASLIN
J.G.M Compton (UWP) 2047
George Murray (SLP) 185
1974—MICOUD SOUTH
J.G.M Compton (UWP) 1009
Francis Flood (Ind.) 227
1979—MICOUD SOUTH
J.G.M Compton (UWP) 1221
Raymond Flood (SLP) 469
1982—MICOUD SOUTH
J.G.M Compton (UWP) 1529
Henry. Marquis (SLP) 169
S. Mathurin (PLP) 78
6th. April 1987—MICOUD SOUTH
J.G.M Compton ( UWP) 1589
Henry Marquis (SLP) 289
Lazarus Jn. Baptiste (PLP) 145
30th. April 1987—MICOUD SOUTH
J.G.M Compton (UWP) 1792
Henry Marquis (SLP) 357
1992—MICOUD SOUTH
J.G.M Compton (UWP) 1792
Vernantius James (SLP) 680
2006—MICOUD NORTH
J.G.M Compton (UWP) 2142
Silas Wilson (SLP) 1091
Patrick Joseph (Ind) 110
Illness and death
On May 1, 2007, Compton was hospitalized in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
after he suffered a series of strokes which left him physically impaired. He fell ill while visiting a doctor for a normal checkup.
On May 16, Leonard Montoute, who serves as St. Lucia's Sports Minister and deputy leader of the United Workers Party
United Workers Party (Saint Lucia)
The United Workers Party is a conservative political party in Saint Lucia, led by Prime Minister Stephenson King and previously by John Compton.-History:...
, said that Compton was unable to stand or walk on his own and that the cabinet would select a new Prime Minister to lead the island nation.
Compton returned to Saint Lucia on May 19. He temporarily resumed power in early June to oversee a cabinet reshuffle, in which he remained Prime Minister but gave up the finance portfolio to Acting Prime Minister Stephenson King
Stephenson King
Stephenson Toby King was the sixth Prime Minister of Saint Lucia. He represents the constituency of Castries North for the United Workers Party in the House of Assembly of Saint Lucia. King won the elections in 2006, unseating the incumbent Minister of Agriculture Ignatius Jean...
. King said on June 8 that Compton's condition was improving. On July 11, he attended a meeting with several cabinet ministers, the first time he had done so since the strokes.
In late July, it was announced that Compton would resign by the end of 2007. On August 26, Compton was admitted to the Tapion Hospital in Castries
Castries
Castries , population 10,634, aggl. 37,963 , is the capital city of Saint Lucia, a country in the Caribbean. The district with the same name had a population of 61,341 in 2001-05-22, and stretches over an area of ....
because he was having trouble breathing due to pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
. While there, it was learned that he had suffered another stroke while recovering from the previous strokes. On September 1, he was flown to Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
for treatment of his pneumonia. While there, his condition worsened and he was placed on a ventilator. On September 4, doctors decided that his condition was hopeless; on September 5, he was returned to the Tapion Hospital in Saint Lucia to die. He died there on September 7, 2007. Acting Prime Minister King declared two weeks of mourning, beginning on September 8.
A state funeral was held for Compton in Castries, at the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception
Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Castries
The Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, located in Derek Walcott Square, Castries, Saint Lucia, is the seat of the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Castries, currently Robert Rivas...
, on September 18. Despite Compton's Anglican faith, the local Catholic church was used due to the large number of mourners and at the request of Sir John. The funeral services held in Micoud on 16 September and at the Minor Basilica on 18 September were in keeping with the requests of Sir John for his funeral service, including the hymns which were specifically requested by him. He was cremated on 19 September and his ashes spread in the Troumasse River at his estate in Mahaut upon his request.
In a by-election held on November 26, 2007, Compton's daughter Janine Compton-Rambally won his constituency of Micoud North.