Compton is back

Sir John Compton seems headed to re-enter the rough and tumble of St. Lucian politics.

Reports out of St. Lucia indicate that Sir John, who founded the United Workers Party in 1964 is intent on returning and will contest the leadership of the party. Ironically the leadership contest may be between Sir John and Dr. Vaughn Lewis, the man whom he had handpicked to replace him as Prime Minister and leader of the UWP in 1996. {{more}}

Sir John is quoted in the St. Lucian Star online edition as saying: “I’m ready to serve my country and party… You never retire from politics… It’s like Hotel California, You can check out, but you can never leave.”

The Star also quotes the so-called “father” of St. Lucian politics as saying: “If there is somebody else who can lead the party into electoral victory, I will bow out. The thing now is to reverse the direction the country is taking.”

Sir John’s surprise move comes at a time when a younger pretender for the UWP throne, newspaper publisher Guy Mayers, has been eyeing the leadership to take it from Dr. Lewis whose leadership has been considered ineffective.

Sir John Compton’s return has commentators wondering if his return to politics and that of his cousin Sir James in St. Vincent and the Grenadines is mere coincidence.