Legislative Council of Saint Helena
Type
Type	Unicameral
Sovereign	Monarch of the United Kingdom
Leadership
Speaker	Cyril Gunnel, Independent since 25 October 2021
Chief Minister	Julie Thomas, Independent since 25 October 2021
Structure
Seats	15
Political groups	Speaker & Deputy Speaker (2)   Independent (2) Government (5)   Independent (5) Official Opposition (7)   Independent (7) Ex officio (1)   Ex officio (1)
Elections
Voting system	Plurality block voting (12), ex officio members (1)
Last election	13 October 2021
Meeting place
Legislative Council Building, Jamestown
Website
www.sainthelena.gov.sh/government/legislative-council/

Politics of Saint Helena
The Crown The Monarch Charles III Heir Apparent William, Prince of Wales
Government Governor Nigel Phillips Executive Council Chief Minister Julie Thomas Chief Secretary Attorney General Sheriff Responsible Minister (UK): The Lord Ahmad Plantation House The Castle
Legislature Legislative Council Speaker of Saint Helena Cyril Gunnell 2013 2017 2021
Judiciary Magistrates and Juvenile Courts Supreme Court of St Helena St Helena Court of Appeal Judicial Committee of the Privy Council
Citizenship Belonger status British Overseas Territories citizen Passport Visa requirements
Other Flag Jamestown (capital) Saint Helena Pound Half Tree Hollow Saint Paul's Longwood Alarm Forest Trade unions Saint Helena Airport
Other countries
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The Legislative Council of Saint Helena is the unicameral legislature of Saint Helena, a constituent part of the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. The council itself is often referred to as "LegCo" by islanders.

The Legislative Council consists of 15 members: 12 elected members who serve a four-year term and are elected by popular vote; a Speaker and Deputy Speaker, chosen by the elected members; and one ex officio member, the Attorney General. Members of the Council use the suffix "MLC" (Member of the Legislative Council), and are sometimes referred to as Councillors.

Election summary

The twelve elected members of the 2021-2025 Legislative Council are:^[1]

1. Julie Thomas (888 votes)
2. Andrew James Turner (834 votes)
3. Corinda Sebastiana Stuart Essex (827 votes)*
4. Martin Dave Henry (750 votes)*
5. Jeffrey Robert Ellick (688 votes)
6. Ronald Arthur Coleman (678 votes)
7. Karl Gavin Thrower (611 votes)
8. Gillian Ann Brooks (561 votes)
9. Christine Scipio-O'Dean (533 votes)*
10. Mark Alan Brooks (532 votes)
11. Robert Charles Midwinter (485 votes)
12. Rosemary June Bargo (456 votes)

An asterisk (*) denotes a sitting incumbent MLC who was duly re-elected.

Electoral divisions

Saint Helena is divided into eight districts,^[2] each with a community centre. The districts also serve as statistical subdivisions and electoral areas. Currently, all twelve elected MLCs represent the entire island as a single constituency. Previously, there were two constituencies (electoral districts) – "the East" and "the West", and each constituency had six Elected Members. Prior to that there were eight constituencies. The four most populated districts (i.e., Half Tree Hollow, Jamestown, Longwood, and St Paul's) each sent two representatives to the Legislative Council. The remaining districts (i.e., Alarm Forest, Blue Hill, Levelwood, and Sandy Bay) sent one representative each.^[3]

Speakers of the Legislative Council

• John Wainwright Newman (?–?)
• Eric W. George (?–2008)
• Margaret Anne Catherine Hopkins (2008–2013)
• Eric Benjamin (2013–2021)
• Cyril Gunnell (2021–present)