David John Howard Thompson, MP (born 25 December 1961) has been the sixth Prime Minister of Barbados since January 2008.

Thompson was born in London to his father, Charles Thompson, a porter and painter and his mother, Margaret Knight, a secretary and nurse. Both parents remain strong influences in Thompson's life. Thompson was brought up with his six siblings at Fitts Village, Saint James.

He came to politics in a by-election after the death of National Hero Prime Minister Errol Barrow, gaining his parliamentary seat for Saint John in 1987. Whilst Erskine Sandiford was in office as Prime Minister, Thompson served as Minister of Community Development and Culture from 1991 to 1993. He was subsequently appointed Minister of Finance from 1993 to 1994. Thompson became leader of the DLP after Sandiford resigned after losing a parliamentary no confidence motion and unsuccessfully led the Democratic Labour Party in elections in 1994 and 1999. He resigned as party leader in September 2000 following his third electoral defeat as party leader in the St. Thomas by-election. However, when party leader Clyde Mascoll switched allegiance to the Barbados Labour Party, Thompson once again became opposition leader in January 2006.

The DLP won the general election held on January 15, 2008 with 20 seats against 10 for theBarbados Labour Party, which was led by former Prime Minister Owen Arthur. Thompson was sworn in as Prime Minister on January 16,

becoming Barbados' sixth prime minister and the third to serve under the DLP.^{citation needed}Thompson was also re-elected to his own seat from St. John constituency with 84% of the vote. He announced his Cabinet on January 19, including himself as Minister of Finance, Economic Affairs and Development, Labour, Civil Service and Energy; it was sworn in on January 20.

At a media briefing at his official Ilaro Court residence on May 14th, 2010, Prime Minister David Thompson, accompanied by his personal physician Dr Richard Ishmael, said that he had been suffering with stomach pains since early March. He also revealed he had undergone tests in Barbados, which were inconclusive, and had also travelled with Ishmael to New York where additional tests were carried out. The process of testing would be ongoing and, because of this, Attorney General and Deputy Prime Minister Freundel Stuart would assume his office in his absence.

On August 30th, Mr. Thompson re-assumed his post of Prime Minister, having returned to Barbados the day before. On Tuesday September 7th, 2010 Mr. Thompson left Barbados for New York on a trip of unknown nature. A short time later Mr. Thompson's personal physician, Dr. Richard Ishmael, informed the general public that the Prime Minister is suffering frompancreatic cancer.

Mr. Thompson died at around 2:10 on the morning of October 23rd 2010 at his home in Mapps, St. Philip, Barbados.