Sir Harold Bernard St. John, KA (16 August 1931 – 29 February 2004) was a Barbadian politician who served as the third prime minister of Barbados from 1985 to 1986. To date, he is the shortest serving Barbadian prime minister. He was leader of the Barbados Labour Party from 1970 to 1971 and again from 1985 to 1987. He was widely known as Bree.
St. John was born in the Parish of Christ Church and attended the Christ Church Foundation School. He was professionally trained as a lawyer at the University College London and was called to the Bar at the Inner Temple in 1958. In 1959, before the island became independent from the United Kingdom, St. John joined the Barbados Labour Party beginning an opposition representative in the pre-independence Senate of Barbados in 1964.[1] After independence in 1966, he was elected to the Barbados House of Assembly. He served as a member of the Upper Chamber between 1971 and 1976 as a member of the Opposition party.
St. John left the Upper House when he was re-elected to the House of Assembly in 1976, when his party under J. M. G. Adams won the election. He served in numerous cabinet positions in the 1970s including deputy prime minister, minister of trade and industry, and minister of tourism, where he did his most influential work in developing the tourism industry in Barbados. When Adams died in 1985, St. John became Prime Minister. During his tenure as prime minister, he held the additional portfolio of Minister of Finance. The following year he was defeated in the elections by Errol Barrow and the Democratic Labour Party.
In 1994 when the BLP regained power, he did not return to the Cabinet and served instead as a backbencher under Owen Arthur. That same year St. John was conferred the highest honour in Barbados; he was made a Knight of St. Andrew (KA) of the Order of Barbados.
In 2004, Bernard St. John died of cancer in Bridgetown, aged 72. He left his widow Lady Stella (née Hope) and three children: Bryte, Charmaine and Nicole.[2]
harold, bernard, john, american, botanist, harold, john, august, 1931, february, 2004, barbadian, politician, served, third, prime, minister, barbados, from, 1985, 1986, date, shortest, serving, barbadian, prime, minister, leader, barbados, labour, party, from. For the American botanist see Harold St John Sir Harold Bernard St John KA 16 August 1931 29 February 2004 was a Barbadian politician who served as the third prime minister of Barbados from 1985 to 1986 To date he is the shortest serving Barbadian prime minister He was leader of the Barbados Labour Party from 1970 to 1971 and again from 1985 to 1987 He was widely known as Bree The Right HonourableSir Harold Bernard St JohnKA3rd Prime Minister of BarbadosIn office 11 March 1985 29 May 1986MonarchElizabeth IIGovernor GeneralHugh SpringerPreceded byJ M G Tom AdamsSucceeded byErrol BarrowConstituencyChrist Church South3rd Deputy Prime Minister of BarbadosIn office 7 September 1976 11 March 1985Prime MinisterJ M G Tom AdamsPreceded byCuthbert Edwy TalmaSucceeded byLloyd Erskine SandifordPersonal detailsBorn16 August 1931Christ Church British Windward Islands present day Barbados Died29 February 2004 2004 02 29 aged 72 Bridgetown BarbadosPolitical partyBarbados Labour PartySpouseLady Stella St John nee Hope ResidenceIlaro Court 1985 1986ProfessionLawyer Contents 1 Biography 2 See also 3 References 4 External linksBiography EditSt John was born in the Parish of Christ Church and attended the Christ Church Foundation School He was professionally trained as a lawyer at the University College London and was called to the Bar at the Inner Temple in 1958 In 1959 before the island became independent from the United Kingdom St John joined the Barbados Labour Party beginning an opposition representative in the pre independence Senate of Barbados in 1964 1 After independence in 1966 he was elected to the Barbados House of Assembly He served as a member of the Upper Chamber between 1971 and 1976 as a member of the Opposition party St John left the Upper House when he was re elected to the House of Assembly in 1976 when his party under J M G Adams won the election He served in numerous cabinet positions in the 1970s including deputy prime minister minister of trade and industry and minister of tourism where he did his most influential work in developing the tourism industry in Barbados When Adams died in 1985 St John became Prime Minister During his tenure as prime minister he held the additional portfolio of Minister of Finance The following year he was defeated in the elections by Errol Barrow and the Democratic Labour Party In 1994 when the BLP regained power he did not return to the Cabinet and served instead as a backbencher under Owen Arthur That same year St John was conferred the highest honour in Barbados he was made a Knight of St Andrew KA of the Order of Barbados In 2004 Bernard St John died of cancer in Bridgetown aged 72 He left his widow Lady Stella nee Hope and three children Bryte Charmaine and Nicole 2 See also Edit Biography portalPolitics of Barbados List of Premiers Prime Ministers of BarbadosReferences Edit Harold Bernard St John Caribbean Elections KnowledgeWalk Institute Retrieved 11 February 2023 3rd Prime Minister Sir Harold Bernard St John 1985 1986 Totally Barbados External links EditHarold Bernard St John at Find a GravePolitical officesPreceded byJ M G Adams Prime Minister of Barbados1985 1986 Succeeded byErrol BarrowPreceded byJ M G Adams Minister of Finance of Barbados1985 1986 Succeeded byRichie Haynes Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Harold Bernard St John amp oldid 1138810263, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
