Sir John Overview:

Sir John Compton, father of Saint Lucia, detailed his radical political career, which began after studying law and economics in England. A defining event was leading the six-week 1957 sugar cane strike, successfully breaking estate control and enabling the economic shift to bananas. He co-founded the United Workers Party (UWP) in 1964 and, as Chief Minister, guided a "quiet social Revolution". Key achievements included establishing agriculture credit, founding the Central Water Authority (CWA) to expand piped water and eliminate diseases like typhoid, creating new schools, and improving infrastructure like the East Coast Road and the Pigeon Island link for tourism. Despite turmoil, he guided Saint Lucia to Independence in 1979. He returned to power in 1982 to rebuild the economy, adhering to his philosophy of focusing on "tomorrow's children".