The party was established in 1949, backed by the Saint Lucia Workers Cooperative Union. In the
first elections held under universal suffrage in 1951, and led by party founder
George Charles, the party won five of the eight seats. It retained all five seats in the
1954 elections, and increased their majority to seven of the eight seats in
1957 and nine of the ten seats in
1961. In
1964, the party lost an election for the first time, with the
United Workers Party, born out of a schism from within the Labour Party led by
John Compton and eventual merger of the breakaway faction with the
People's Progressive Party, winning six of the ten seats, with the Labour Party reduced to two. It gained a seat in the
1969 elections, and increased their representation to seven seats in
1974, although the UWP remained in power as the total number of seats rose to 17. The Labour Party returned to power after winning the
1979 elections (12/17), led by Allan Louisy, replaced as prime minister during the term by
Winston Cenac, himself replaced by
Michael Pilgrim. The 1979 elections were the first elections held following independence from the
United Kingdom, declared on 22 February 1979. It lost the
1982 elections to Compton's UWP when they were reduced to just two seats, challenged on their left by a breakaway faction,
George Odlum's
Progressive Labour Party taking 1 seat. It remained in opposition following the
two elections of
April 1987, increasing its presence to 8 seats in both contests, and in
1992 (6/17). Led by Dr.
Kenny Anthony, former cabinet minister in the 1979–1982 government, it won the
1997 elections, taking 16 of the 17 seats. It remained in power after the
2001 elections (14/17). It lost the
2006 elections to the UWP, who had called back
John Compton as leader a year before - he had retired in 1996. Kenny Anthony remained leader of the party throughout its time as
loyal opposition. The Labour Party won the
2011 Saint Lucian general election (28 November 2011), winning in 11 out of a 17-seats contest and defeating UWP leader
Stephenson King who had lost to John Compton as Prime Minister (d. 2007, in office). The Labour Party lost the
2016 elections to the UWP by 11 seats to 6, and Kenny Anthony resigned as party leader. Former Deputy PM
Philip J. Pierre was confirmed as party leader on 18 June 2016. The party then formed government in the
2021 and
2025 general elections, under Pierre. == Saint Lucia Labour Party Prime Ministers ==