Ruling party backbencher Delaey Robinson could yet be a candidate in the coming July 24 election.

This week he confirmed weeks of speculation that he would be stepping down to focus more time and energy on his young family and guesthouse in St. Georges. But the Progressive Labour Party may yet draft him to stand in a district outside of St. George's.

“It's still possible that Robinson will run,” he said yesterday. “It just won't be in St. George's. There may be constituencies where candidates are needed and I have always said wherever the party needs me that's where I'll be.

“And I have no ifs, ands, or buts about that because I'm a party person.” Mr. Robinson told The Bermuda Sun this week that he was bowing out of politics but was considering filling the role of campaign chairman.

“I have been campaign manager all along,” he told this newspaper, yesterday. And it was “more than likely” he would continue to be campaign manager.

As campaign manager, Mr. Robinson looks at “overall preparedness of constituencies” “It's not rocket science,” he said. “We have smaller constituencies now - that's a key thing we have to remember and we have to get a foot in every doorstep.”

As to the possibility of his candidacy, Mr. Robinson said he was “not necessarily” contradicting his earlier statement to the Sun, but would not elaborate. As the ruling party, the PLP would want to run a candidate in every district and Mr. Robinson is likely to end up in a district deemed a safe seat for the Opposition if he does run again. “We haven't gone all the way through the process,” he said.

But he would not say exactly how far he had gone in the candidate selection process or even if he had been nominated by a branch organisation. “I can't expose that. That would be internal.”

Mr. Robinson first entered parliament in 1998, representing St. Georges North with running mate, Premier Jennifer Smith.