Compton, John George Melvin (1926- )

St Lucian centrist politician, prime minister 1964-79 and 1982-96. He left the St Lucia Labour Party (SLP) to form the breakaway United Workers' Party (UWP) in 1961, becoming chief minister in 1964. After St Lucia left the Windward Islands federation in 1967, he was redesignated prime minister, with the finance and planning portfolios, and guided the country to independence within the British Commonwealth in 1979. In opposition to SLP governments from 1979, he led the UWP to a decisive victory in 1982. He retired in 1996 and was knighted in 1997.

Politically active from the mid-1950s, Compton entered the St Lucia Legislative Council in 1957 as a member of the SLP and served as trade and industry minister 1958-61. On his retirement he was succeeded as UWP leader and prime minister by Vaughan Lewis.

Compton was born in Canouan island, in the Grenadines (part of St Vincent and the Grenadines). He studied economics and law at the London School of Economics and worked as a barrister.