Walter Roban returned to Cabinet yesterday, less than seven months after he resigned amid accusations of corruption.Mr Roban stepped into the Transport Ministry vacated by Derrick Burgess, who quit on Wednesday night following reports of a physical altercation with Estates Minister Michael Scott in the House of Assembly building.Premier Paula Cox confirmed Bermuda is now without a Deputy Premier although, with Mr Burgess continuing as deputy leader of the Progressive Labour Party, several sources pointed to growing rifts in the camp.Many of Mr Burgess’ supporters, mainly in the party executive, grass roots and his Hamilton Parish base, are said to be angry that a perceived foot soldier has fallen from grace.Mr Burgess was demoted from Public Works Minister to Transport last November, after clashing with the Premier over issues including his handling of the Bermuda Land Development Corporation affair.Many see Mr Burgess as a potential challenger to Ms Cox, though he has strenuously denied such intentions.Dissent with Ms Cox is also said to stem from her willingness to promote more conservative relative newcomers such as Senators Jonathan Smith and Vince Ingham, and election candidate Stephen Todd.Her recent comments on good governance have also been interpreted by some party members as an admission that the PLP has failed in this area.A third camp, attached to backbencher Terry Lister who opposed Ms Cox at the 2010 leadership election, is said to oppose both the Cox and Burgess factions, but is currently laying low.Meanwhile, although the Bermuda Industrial Union has previously attended a PLP Central Committee meeting to show support for Mr Burgess, PLP members say his removal from Cabinet will probably not mean the union withdraws its backing for the party.Mr Roban, who is said to be one of Ms Cox’s keenest supporters, was backed by four Ministers at his swearing-in ceremony at Government House yesterday: Mr Scott, Michael Weeks, Marc Bean and Glenn Blakeney.His previous Cabinet post, as Public Works Minister, lasted just 16 days after he came under intense criticism for granting planning permission for PLP colleagues Zane DeSilva and Wayne Furbert on his final day as Environment Minister.The decisions were against the advice of his technical officers; Mr Furbert’s was later overturned by his successor Mr Bean, while Mr DeSilva’s was withdrawn.Announcing his resignation last November, Mr Roban reflected on the public criticism, stating: “This has brought about questions of the Government’s integrity and accusations of corruption of which I deeply regret.”Yesterday, asked what has changed since then, he told The Royal Gazette: “I was asked by the Premier to rejoin in light of the vacancy created by Minister Burgess’ resignation.”Asked if people may question his return to Cabinet months after he felt the need to resign, he said: “The only person who’s raised that is you. That issue is finished.“Up until this point, I considered it done. My resignation in November ended that, from my standpoint.”During the swearing-in ceremony, he said: “Every step is a learning process. This is a continuation of a story, a story of me being part of a family that’s committed to leading the Country.”Explaining her selection of Mr Roban, Ms Cox said: “There’s an opportunity. He did the honourable thing in resigning. It’s an opportunity.”One party member, who asked not to be named, reacted yesterday: “It lends credence to the argument that we have been a flip-flop party.“What he did was big enough for him to resign last November, but now it doesn’t matter? At the end of the day, the voter has to make the decision.”Asked about Mr Burgess’ resignation, Ms Cox replied: “I think Mr Burgess, as far as I am concerned, has resigned. You may want to speak directly with him.”Mr Burgess could not be reached yesterday.Ms Cox said there would be no Deputy Premier, with Cabinet Ministers taking turns as Acting Premier in her absence. Deputy Premier is a courtesy title afforded to the deputy leader of the PLP when they are in Cabinet, she said.Mr Burgess was elected deputy leader of the party on the night Ms Cox was voted leader, in November 2010.The pair had a serious disagreement when Ms Cox recommended Mr Burgess’ political ally Leroy Bean resign from the BLDC [see timeline]; they were also split over whether Mr Bean should run for the PLP in St George’s South.One source said many believed Ms Cox would fire Mr Burgess over that row, but added: “Before that could happen there was a central committee meeting that showed the rank and file supported Derrick.”Matters came to a head on Friday, May 25, when Mr Burgess and Mr Scott, a supporter of Ms Cox, came to blows in the House of Assembly’s kitchen and had to be separated by National Security Minister Wayne Perinchief.Mr Burgess resigned after that incident was reported, stating on Wednesday night: “The Progressive Labour Party Government has a mighty work to do. I will not allow anything to distract from our party’s effort to serve the people of Bermuda.”In February, BIU president Chris Furbert said union members had attended a PLP meeting to show support for Mr Burgess, following reports that the PLP caucus wanted him to quit.But several PLP members yesterday said they didn’t believe the union leadership is currently in a strong enough position to withdraw its backing for the ruling party.One added: “The BIU would still rather deal with the PLP than the OBA anyway, so they can’t afford to tell their members not to vote PLP.”Another PLP member said: “I suspect that there will be a state of the party meeting at some point over the next two weeks — a big vent session followed by making up and functional unity until the election is called.”