ector was amused to hear that one brave caller to Senator radio show was unwilling to let his claim that PLP splits were purely media driven go completely unchallenged. Despite the fact that Paula Cox had admitted in a pre-election interview that the party was split again, the Colonel denied point blank this was the case. After informing a series of listeners about his opinion, the usually outspoken Housing Minister was left struggling for words when one caller told him that he had read in the press that Dame Lois Browne Evans had echoed Ms Cox.

?Don?t believe the press,? muttered Sen. Burch. But it wasn?t in the press, the caller replied ... she said it on television. Cue one of the longest silences in radio history.

Never one to shirk from reporters, Sen. Burch was in defiant mood after Ewart Brown?s victory on Friday night. Enjoying one of what was probably the latest in a long line of his much-loved Marlboro Lights at the back of Devonshire Rec, he castigated one poor hack who dared ask him whether Alex Scott?s speech had fallen flat.

?That?s a stupid question,? he barked. Later, two drunks wandered around the back of the venue. One, on recognising the multi-tasking Minister, shouted out: ?I voted for you.?

?I better get elected first,? responded the quick-thinking Senator, before launching into one of those deep, rumbling, nicotine-fuelled laughs often only heard emanating from the mouths of James Bond villains.

Hector realises that there?s been a huge amount of change within the Progressive Labour Party in the past week ? but those answering the telephone at Alaska Hall should still try to keep up. A hack rang PLP headquarters on Wednesday afternoon and asked for a contact number for . ?For who?? the person at the other end of the telephone demanded to know. ?David Burt,? replied the reporter. ?Who?s that?? asked the up-to-the minute receptionist. Erm, only the party?s newly-elected chairman. And similar confusion seems to be reigning in the corridors of power. Another hack rang the Community and Cultural Affairs Ministry wanting to speak to new Minister ? Mr. Perinchief. ?Youth and Sport!? answered a receptionist, still sticking to the old name, then inquired if the scribe wanted to talk to Phil Perinchief, who astute readers will remember, is the new Attorney General. The caller was then put through to another civil servant who answered ?Ministry of Community Affairs and Sport.? Hector doesn?t blame the civil servants who these days not only have to put up with an ever-changing roster of political bosses but also a continual shuffling of departments. One wonders what the earnest employees of Environment will make of being paired with their high-tech colleagues in Telecoms and E-Commerce.

Hector fears the UBP may have to sharpen its act now master of spin Dr. Brown has his hands on the reins of power. Confidently expecting that the party would be keen to pick to pieces the latest Cabinet appointees forthwith ? and would be fully primed to criticise the new Ministries and of course the choice of people to lead them ? one of Hector?s fellow hacks gave its HQ a call. The first person to answer instead chose to repeatedly correct the hack for using the acronym UBP ? before explaining he did not know how to reach the party-which-must-always-be-called-the United-Bermuda-Party-?s press officer, .

A second member of staff was equally in the dark about how to provide a response. ?I guess that will be a ?no comment? for you,? she giggled merrily. Still holding on to a vain hope that the party bidding to lead the country might just want to say something about major changes in Government, the hack persisted. Over to Deputy Opposition Leader .

?I don?t think Mr. Furbert is planning to make any comment until further down the line,? he mused. Meanwhile, Mr. Furbert?s cell phone, as ever, went straight to voicemail. Eventually a statement was issued ? at 8.30 p.m. ? with a few predictable platitudes, leaving the hack wondering it was worth all the effort.