Palmavon Webster facts for kids

Palmavon Webster is an Anguillian lawyer and politician. She used to be a member of the House of Assembly of Anguilla, which is like Anguilla's parliament. She also served as the leader of the opposition, meaning she led the political group that was not in power.

About Palmavon Webster

Early Life and Education

Palmavon Webster was born in a place called Island Harbour in Anguilla. She went to college at the University of the West Indies at Cave Hill in Barbados. There, she studied law and earned her degree in 1984. Later, in 1986, she got a special certificate for legal education from the Norman Manley Law School in Jamaica.

Starting Her Legal Career

From 1986 to 1987, Palmavon Webster worked for the government of Anguilla. She was a crown counsel, which means she was a lawyer who advised the government. After that, she started her own law firm called Webster Law Firm. She focused on helping businesses and dealing with property laws. She was also the president of the Anguilla Financial Services Association for many years, starting in 2001.

Entering Politics

Palmavon Webster first got involved in politics in 2010. She ran for a seat in the House of Assembly for the Island Harbour area. She was part of the Anguilla Progressive Party but did not win that election.

Five years later, in 2015, she decided to run again. This time, she ran as an independent candidate, meaning she wasn't part of a specific political party. She said her values no longer matched those of her old party. In the 2015 Anguillian general election, she won the seat! She received 35% of the votes, beating the person who was already in office.

Making History

Palmavon Webster was the only person elected in 2015 who was not part of the Anguilla United Front party. Because of this, she became the leader of the opposition. This was a big moment for Anguilla.

She was also part of a special group of women who were elected that year. Along with Cora Richardson-Hodge and Evalie Bradley, they were the first women to join the House of Assembly in over 30 years. Palmavon Webster was the first woman ever to represent her district. She was also the country's first female leader of the opposition.

In 2018, she was chosen to be on the board of the Caribbean Democrat Union. This is a group of political parties from different Caribbean countries.

Recent Elections

In 2020, Palmavon Webster ran for re-election to the House of Assembly. However, she lost to Ellis Webster, who was the leader of the Anguilla Progressive Movement. Ellis Webster then became the prime minister of Anguilla.