1. John Compton cofounded the conservative United Workers Party in 1964; he led the party until 1996, again from 1998 to 2000, and again from 2005 to 2007.
21 Facts About John Compton
1. 2.
John Compton was born on 29 April 1925 in Canouan, St Vincent and the Grenadines.
3.
John Compton became the Council Member for Social Affairs in 1955, and served in this position until the Committee System was replaced by the Ministerial System in 1956.
4.
John Compton participated in a sugar workers' strike in 1957, and was fined for obstructing roads.
5.
Re-elected in 1957, John Compton became Minister for Trade and Production in 1958; he was appointed deputy leader of the SLP under George Charles.
6.
In 1964, John Compton merged the National Labour Movement with another opposition party, the People's Progressive Party, to form the United Workers' Party.
7.
In office, John Compton worked for Saint Lucia's independence from British rule.
8.
When Saint Lucia became an Associated State of the United Kingdom on 1 March 1967, a move that placed the Saint Lucian government fully in charge of the island's internal affairs, John Compton became St Lucia's first and only Premier.
9.
At the conference from April to May 1966 that led to this change, John Compton sharply criticized the British government for excluding certain issues, and accused it of favoring "second-class citizenship for people of another color".
10.
The SLP government collapsed in October 1982, and the UWP won the subsequent election in November 1982; John Compton became Prime Minister again.
11.
John Compton held the additional portfolio of Minister of Finance, Planning and Development.
12.
John Compton remained in office until he retired in 1996; he was replaced by his chosen successor, Vaughan Lewis.
13.
John Compton worked for increased regional integration: upon leaving office in 1996, he voiced disappointment that the region's population remained a "divided people scattered over the Caribbean Sea".
14.
John Compton was re-elected as the leader of UWP in 1998 he was replaced as leader by Morella Joseph in 2000.
15.
John Compton then joined George Odlum to form the National Alliance, which did not have much success in the 2001 elections.
16.
John Compton was elected to the seat from Micoud North over SLP candidate Silas Wilson.
17.
On 1 May 2007, John Compton was hospitalized in New York City after suffering a series of strokes.
18.
John Compton fell ill while visiting a doctor for a normal checkup.
19.
In late July, it was announced that John Compton would resign by the end of 2007.
20.
The fourth born daughter, Fiona John Compton, is a London-based photographer who graduated from London College of Printing in 2005 with a BA in photography.
21.
The fifth born, and second to youngest daughter, Nina John Compton, is a chef and television star.