The Compton Development Doctrine: Rethinking Development and Politics in the Saint Lucian Context

April 29, 2025 marks the centenary of the birth of Sir John Compton—Saint Lucia’s first Prime Minister, revered as the Father of the Nation and the principal architect of modern Saint Lucian society. There is no doubt that Compton occupies a uniquely important and unrivalled place in the history and psyche of Saint Lucia. His visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to transforming what was once a remote outpost and overseas territory of colonial Britain in the 1960s are deeply woven into the fabric of the nation.

Trained in law and economics at the London School of Economics (LSE) during the 1940s, Compton was likely a contemporary of Singapore’s founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew—who began his legal studies at LSE before transferring to Cambridge—as well as Errol Barrow, the first Prime Minister of Barbados, who also studied law and economics at LSE during the same period. These three men from small island developing states—17,620 kilometres apart—were destined to lead their respective nations out of colonial rule and lay the foundations for their future development.

It was at LSE that they were exposed to the ideologies of the Fabian Society—an ideology which Sir Arthur Lewis also reportedly embraced. As a result, Compton’s development philosophy bore the distinct hallmarks of Fabian thought—emphasising rational analysis, empirical inquiry, and a gradual, pragmatic approach to societal transformation. This stood in contrast to the more radical, revolutionary Marxist perspectives that characterised many decolonisation movements of the time.

Building from adversity

In his eulogy for Compton, Sir Dwight Venner, former Governor of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, painted a vivid picture of the Saint Lucia Compton inherited—grappling with severe socio-economic challenges. Compton’s political awakening came in the aftermath of the 1938 labour riots, which exposed the harsh living conditions of the working class and led to the Moyne Commission Report on social reform in the British West Indies.

Governor Venner, himself a respected economist, described Saint Lucia at the time as “not a nice place to live.” Poverty was widespread, housing was inadequate, and the population suffered from limited access to healthcare and clean water, making them vulnerable to waterborne diseases like bilharzia. Education remained a privilege of the few, reinforcing entrenched inequality. Many Saint Lucians sought better lives in Guyana, Cayenne, Aruba, Curaçao, and the United Kingdom.

In comparing the tasks faced by Caribbean leaders of the era, Venner boldly asserted: “Arguably, Compton had the hardest task of the three.” Though Singapore was the same size, it had a larger population and superior infrastructure. Lee Kuan Yew also had more control over Singapore’s polity and economy. Barbados, despite being smaller, had a more educated population and a centuries-old parliamentary tradition.

A legacy of self-determination and pragmatism

Compton’s legacy is more than a string of political firsts—though he was Saint Lucia’s first Premier, first Prime Minister, and a founding figure of independence. It is a legacy rooted in institution-building, fiscal prudence, and belief in the island’s ability to shape its own destiny. From land reform and public infrastructure to education and regional diplomacy, he adopted a pragmatic, people-centred model of development.

He spearheaded the creation of institutions like the National Insurance Scheme, new schools, and the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College. Through the Saint Lucia Mortgage Finance Company, he established housing schemes in San Souci, Reduit, Entrepot, and Tapion, laying the foundation for a Saint Lucian middle class. Over three decades, he oversaw the development of roads, ports, health centres, water infrastructure, Rodney Bay, and the Pigeon Island Causeway—effectively reshaping the island.

One often-overlooked but transformative policy was his dismantling of the banana plantocracy, shifting plantation workers from labourers to owners of production. This move built wealth among the farming class, leading to the so-called green gold era, with increased yields and foreign exchange earnings funding development in other sectors. When Compton left office in 1996, Saint Lucia had become the largest economy in the OECS with a GDP of approximately EC$2.1 billion and a debt-to-GDP ratio of just EC$512 million.

A blueprint for the future

As we mark one hundred years since his birth, the pressing question is no longer how we remember Sir John Compton—but how we revive his approach. At a time of rising inequality, global uncertainty, and institutional fatigue, his values of rural upliftment, national self-determination, and disciplined governance may hold the answers we need.

This centenary is more than commemoration—it is a moment for introspection. In revisiting his principles, we may find a roadmap not just to remember the past, but to reimagine the future.

Is it time to return to the tried and tested Comptonian Development Economics?