21 Facts About George Odlum

George William Odlum was a Saint Lucian left-wing politician who served as Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister.

In opposition, George Odlum was made Ambassador to the United Nations, resigning in 1996.

Amidst controversy over his alleged alliance with the opposition, George Odlum resigned in 2001.

George Odlum was born on 24 June 1934 in Castries, the son of a barber.

George Odlum studied economics at Bristol University, becoming the first Afro-Caribbean head of the University of Bristol Union before moving to Magdalen College, Oxford in 1959, where he studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics and was one of the few Afro-Caribbean students to attend.

At university, George Odlum acted, played both football and cricket, and became noted as a successful debater.

George Odlum moved back to the United Kingdom in 1964 to work as an economist in the Commonwealth Secretariat, leaving 3 years later.

In 1972 George Odlum left his job with the Council of Ministers to form the St Lucia Action Movement, which later merged with a weakened Labour Party in time for the 1974 general election.

George Odlum instead chose to campaign for a rural seat held by the United Workers Party, which he lost by a small margin.

Immediately beforehand, George Odlum organised large protests in front of international news cameras, further cementing his role in the region's communist and socialist movement.

George Odlum publicly supported the Grenadian revolutionaries, who were constructing a new airport with Cuban support.

The dispute continued into 1981, with George Odlum attracting controversy by announcing on 3 March that he had not ignored the possibility of his grouping within the Labour Party splitting and joining the United Workers Party.

Cenac was succeeded by Michael Pilgrim in an attempt by moderates in the Labour Party to avoid the possibility of George Odlum leading the country.

Pilgrim's government collapsed, necessitating an early general election in 1982 in which the Labour Party was left with only 3 of the 17 seats, returning the United Workers Party to government and seeing George Odlum dismissed from Parliament.

Now outside Parliament, George Odlum maintained his presence in the public eye through meetings and the work of his newspaper, The Crusader.

When Compton resigned in 1996, George Odlum chose to stand for election against his successor and lost the contest.

George Odlum's ministry saw the diplomatic recognition of China in 1997, following month-long negotiations and the offer of several million dollars worth of aid to Saint Lucia.

George Odlum's resignation came immediately before a letter of dismissal arrived at his house.

George Odlum formed the National Alliance party to contest the 2001 elections, but the party failed to win any seats.

George Odlum attracted controversy in November 2002 when he spoke at the funeral service for Antiguan politician Tim Hector.

George Odlum was noted as one of the region's greatest orators, able to command attention not only in Saint Lucia itself, but at the United Nations and on the world stage.