Sir
George Walter
2nd Premier of Antigua
In office
14 February 1971 – 1 February 1976
MonarchElizabeth II
GovernorSir Wilfred Jacobs
Preceded byVere Bird
Succeeded byVere Bird
Leader of the Opposition
In office
1976–1979
Preceded byErnest Williams
Succeeded byRobert Hall
Leader of the Opposition
In office
1970–1971
Preceded byRobert Hall
Succeeded byErnest Williams
Personal details
Born8 September 1928
Died4 March 2008
Political partyProgressive Labour Movement

Sir George Herbert Walter, KNH (8 September 1928 – 4 March 2008) was an Antiguan politician of the Progressive Labour Movement and Premier of Antigua and Barbuda from 14 February 1971 to 1 February 1976.[1]

Political career

Born 1928, Walter was the second premier of Antigua and Barbuda, the founder of the Antigua Workers' Union (AWU) and the Progressive Labour Movement (PLM) and a former general-secretary of the Antigua Trades & Labour Union (AT&LU).

Walter won Premiership in the 1971 elections, defeating Vere Bird four years after the colony became a British dependency with domestic autonomy.[1] He advocated full independence for Antigua and Barbuda and opposed a British proposal to make Antigua and Barbuda an island federation.[1] He was defeated in the 1976 elections by Bird.[1]

The PLM headed the government from 1971 to 1976. During his tenure as premier of Antigua and Barbuda, Walter was the representative of All Saints, which was then one constituency. After his premiership he was appointed as leader of the opposition from 1976 to 1979.[2]

The Social Security Act, the Labour Code that was copied in every Caribbean territory, the Representation of the People's Act and the founding of the Antigua & Barbuda Development Bank were all the work of his PLM government.

After the 1982 elections, he gave up politics and went back to his cattle farm.

Arrest

After being defeated, Walter was convicted of allegedly selling metal illegally to the Antiguan government.[1] He was imprisoned for three months whilst his rivals came up with a case against him.[1] It was successfully appealed to the West Indies Court of Appeal, which ruled it groundless.[1]

Personal life

He was married to Lady Hyacinth Walter, a former teacher and principal of the Antigua Girls' School, who contested the All Saints seat in 1980 on behalf of her husband, narrowly losing to then ALP member of Parliament Hilroy Humphreys by nine votes.

They had four children Sharon Walter, Paul Walter, Senator Gregory Walter and Vaughn Walter.

George Walter died on 4 March 2008, aged 79, in St. John's.[1] His cause of death was stated by his younger brother Selvyn to be a heart attack. George Walter had been hospitalised for about a week.[1]

In 2008, he was posthumously made a Knight of the Order of the National Hero (KNH) by his native country Antigua and Barbuda, becoming the country's fifth national hero.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "George Walter, a Leader of Antigua, Dies at 79". New York Times. Associated Press. March 6, 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-09.
  2. ↑ "Caribbean Elections | Antigua and Barbuda Opposition Leaders". 18 July 2022. Archived from the original on 2022-07-18.
  3. ↑ "List of National Heroes of Antigua and Barbuda". Festivals Commission of Antigua and Barbuda. 2011. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
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