John Osborne (Montserrat politician)

John Alfred Osborne (27 May 1936 – 2 January 2011)[1] was a chief minister of Montserrat.

John Osborne
3rd Chief Minister of Montserrat
In office November 1978 – 10 October 1991
Preceded by	Percival Austin Bramble
Succeeded by	Reuben Meade
In office 5 April 2001 – 2 June 2006
Preceded by	David Brandt
Succeeded by	Lowell Lewis
Personal details
Born	John Alfred Osborne 27 May 1936 Brades, Montserrat
Died	2 January 2011 (aged 74) Kentucky, United States
Citizenship	British Overseas
Nationality	Montserratian
Political party	People's Liberation Movement
Spouse(s)	Ardith Osborne
Children	Shirley Osborne , John Osborne Jr, Audison Osborne, Tuyen Osborne, Tarique Osborne, David Osborne
Occupation	Engineer

He first came to that position in November 1978, as a member of the People's Liberation Movement, and continued until losing legislative council elections on 10 October 1991. By 2001 he had switched parties, joining the New People's Liberation Movement. Under his leadership, the NPLM won 7 of 9 seats in legislative council elections on 2 April 2001,[2] and he served as chief minister from 5 April 2001 until 3 June 2006 when he resigned after elections in which his party was defeated. A major issue for his government has been the continuing recovery of the island of Montserrat after a volcanic eruption which devastated the southern part of the island, burying the capital city of Plymouth in ash and forcing its population to flee, in many cases off the island due to lack of housing. The eruption, which began in July 1995, continues today on a vastly reduced scale, the damage being confined to Plymouth and the surrounding areas. As of 2005, a new airport and docking facilities have opened and Montserratians and tourists alike are beginning to return.

In July 2008, Gerald's Airport in Montserrat was renamed John A. Osborne Airport in his honour.[3] His daughter Shirley Osborne is the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Montserrat.

References

1. "Former Montserrat Chief Minister Osborne dies". Stabroek News. 2 January 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
2. Entry on Montserrat Archived 7 April 2013 at the Wayback Machine at the Commonwealth of Nations
3. Montserrat renames its airport at the Travel Daily News