Charles III Heir Apparent Nigel Phillips Executive Council Chief Minister Julie Thomas Speaker of Saint Helena Cyril Gunnell Politics of Saint Helena takes place in a framework of limited self-government as a dependent territory of the United Kingdom, whereby the governor is the head of government.
Saint Helena had until 2009 two dependencies: Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha.
The chief secretary is the main advisor to the governor on the island and runs the administrative side of the government, which is based at The Castle in the capital, Jamestown.
This arrangement gives the governing of Saint Helena an aspect of representative democracy.
Saint Helena, along with both Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha, does not have any active political parties, but no law forbids the formation of political parties; hence, the territory is a de facto non-partisan democracy.