# Southwell Becomes First Chief Minister (1960)

URL: https://allhistories.com/saint-kitts-and-nevis/timeline/1960-southwell-becomes-first-chief-minister
Location: Basseterre, St Kitts
Themes: main-event

Caleb Azariah Paul Southwell was born in Dominica in 1913, worked as a teacher and served in the Leeward Islands Police Force before settling in St Kitts, where he became a timekeeper at the sugar factory and vice-president of the Trades and Labour Union. Elected to the Legislative Council in 1952, he became Minister of Communications and Works in 1956 and led the Labour government on St Kitts while Robert Bradshaw served in the federal cabinet in Trinidad. A new constitution came into force on 1 January 1960. It enlarged the Legislative Council to 13 members, ten of them elected, with two nominated members and the Crown Law Officer as the only ex officio member, and it created the post of Chief Minister as head of the elected government. Southwell was appointed the first Chief Minister of St Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla, while the Administrator's powers were correspondingly reduced. Southwell held the office until 1966, when Bradshaw, having returned from the defunct federation, took over as Chief Minister. Southwell then served as Deputy Premier and minister in Bradshaw's governments, and in 1978 succeeded him as Premier. At this point in the timeline (1 January 1960), the Queen of the United Kingdom was Elizabeth II (6 February 1952 – 19 September 1983); the Administrator of St Christopher, Nevis and Anguilla was Henry Howard (1956 – 1966). Government: the Chief Minister of Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla was Paul Southwell (1 January 1960 – July 1966).

## Why it matters
The 1960 constitution gave St Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla an elected head of government, with Paul Southwell as its first Chief Minister.

Ruler at the Time: [Elizabeth II](https://allhistories.com/saint-kitts-and-nevis/rulers/elizabeth-ii-uk)

Administrator of St Christopher, Nevis and Anguilla: Henry Howard
Chief Minister of Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla: Paul Southwell (Saint Kitts and Nevis Labour Party)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Paul Southwell](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Southwell)
- [Wikipedia — Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica — Paul Southwell Saint Kitts](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Paul+Southwell+Saint+Kitts)
- [Wikipedia — Labour Movement and Statehood (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Associated_state)