Stephenson King

Stephenson King (born 13 November 1958 ) is the former Prime Minister of Saint Lucia. He is the Senior Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Ports, Transport, Physical Development, and Urban Renewal. King was the former candidate for the United Workers Party (UWP). He now represents the constituency of Castries North as an Independent candidate as of July 2021, after resigning from the UWP. He attended the Methodist Infant and Primary Schools for his early infant and primary schooling. Later, he was admitted to the Seventh Day Adventist Academy, where he continued his secondary education.

Compton's illness in May 2007 prompted King to be named acting prime minister. In a cabinet reshuffle in early June 2007, he became Minister of Finance (inclusive of International Financial Services), External Affairs, Home Affairs, National Security, Labor, Information and Broadcasting. In an ironic twist, King assumed the mantle while a few months earlier he had been seen as a Lewis loyalist in the party's leadership race. Compton died on 7 September 2007, and King announced his death on 8 September. King was subsequently sworn in as prime minister by Governor-General Pearlette Louisy on 9 September. The ten UWP members of the House of Assembly agreed on King's designation as prime minister. King also held the modified portfolio of Minister of Finance (including International Financial Services), Economic Affairs, Economic Planning and National Development. Earlier in 2008 Prime Minister King came under pressure, first from leader of the opposition Dr. Kenny Anthony and then from his own parliamentary wing, to dismiss Economic Planning Minister Ausbert D'Auvergne. He eventually acquiesced and returned Choiseul representative Rufus Bousquet to his cabinet, defusing the impasse.

Stephenson King and his wife Rosella being welcomed by William Hague.

King also dismissed the representative of Central Castries and Minister of Housing Richard Frederick from cabinet in 2011, following a scandal created by the revocation of his visitors and diplomatic visas by the United States Government.

The King administration suffered defeat in the 2011 general elections on 28 November 2011, obtaining only 6 out of 17 seats in Parliament. He was subsequently Leader of the Parliamentary Opposition from November 2011 to January 2014.

Withdrawal from the United Workers Party King was at the center of media and public attention in June 2021 as rumors went on that he was going to leave the United Workers Party. King remained silent for weeks before breaking his silence in a dubbed "Address to the Nation"; this address was televised live on the Saint Lucia Choice Media Network and Liberty FM Radio. In his address King stated that he will not contest the 2021 general election on a UWP ticket but as an independent candidate. Prime Minister Allen Chastanet accepted King's resignation on 8 July 2021.

King went on to justify his withdrawal in his "Address to The Nation", stating:

"Never have I been so repulsed by the blatant disrespect and callous contempt in which so many ordinary people have been held by those who now hold political office. Today, I find myself unable to recognise the founding principles of my party in the government, that I am supposedly a part of, and say 'Sa pa Flambeau'.

In all good conscience I cannot go to the people and ask them to endorse for another five years, what has just preceded us and to repose the leadership of this country, in the same group of people in some mistaken belief that it will be alright in the morning.

So after deep and profound soul searching, consultations and prayers, and after having spent so much time, indeed for the past few years, attempting to share my wisdom with my colleagues to pursue a different brand of politics, I have reached the inevitable and painful conclusion that I can no longer be part of an organisation that I can hardly recognise."|source=

King won re-election as an independent in the 2021 Saint Lucian general election, defeating his UWP opponent Jeannine Giraudy-McIntyre with 69.5% of the vote.

Personal life King married Rosella Nestor, his longtime partner in a wedding ceremony in Miami on Saturday 29 November 2008.