Prime Minister of the West Indies Federation

Prime Minister of the West Indies Federation
Coat of arms of the West Indies
Only officeholder Grantley Herbert Adams 18 April 1958 – 31 May 1962
Style	The Right Honourable
Appointer	Governor-General of the West Indies Federation
Formation	18 April 1958
First holder	Grantley Herbert Adams
Final holder	Grantley Herbert Adams
Abolished	31 May 1962

The prime minister of the West Indies Federation was the head of government of the short lived West Indies Federation (also known as the British Caribbean Federation), which consisted of ten provinces: Antigua (with Barbuda), Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica (with the Cayman Islands and the Turks & Caicos Islands), Montserrat, St. Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, and Trinidad and Tobago. The federation was formed on 3 January 1958, and was formally dissolved on 31 May 1962.

The prime minister was elected by the House of Representatives from among its members, constitutionally acted as an advisor to the governor-general of the West Indies Federation, and was involved in economic planning, but had very little power beyond those roles, being junior to the position of governor-general.

Starting in January 1959, the governor-general, Lord Hailes, attempted to get Adams to step down so he could be replaced with Norman Manley, whom Hailes saw as endorsing "decentralised federation" and being able to bring "most responsible people in Jamaica" with him.

Prime Minister of the West Indies Federation (1958–1962)

Parties

  West Indies Federal Labour Party

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Political party	Election	Cabinet
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		Grantley Herbert Adams (1898–1971) MP for Barbados	18 April 1958	31 May 1962	4 years, 43 days	Federalist	1958	Adams

See also

• Prime Minister of the Netherlands Antilles (Dutch West Indies)
• 1961 Jamaican Federation of the West Indies membership referendum

External links

• World Statesmen – West Indies Federation