MP Walter Lister's recent comment that a Bermudian could do the Governor's job as well as Sir Richard Gozney, and for less, has sparked debate in the community. To some degree, Mr Lister is right. There are Bermudians who are quite capable of doing the job and some would no doubt do it very well.Governors perform a delicate balancing act. The ceremonial part of the job, which is what most of the public see, is not difficult. The role of commander in chief is for the most part fairly straightforward, although the rise in crime has made supervision of the Police more difficult than it was 20 years ago. The most delicate and difficult task comes in how the Governor reports to the British Government and the messages he in turn must convey back to the Bermuda Government.The best Bermuda Governors have been able to successfully convey the views of Bermuda to London in an accurate and sensitive fashion, and have been able to help Britain understand local complexities and nuances. They have also been able to convey back Britain's views in a way that Bermuda can understand and accept. At the same time, they can never forget that they serve the British Government first.And that is where a Bermudian would inevitably have difficulties, because any Bermudian in the role would suffer from divided loyalties when the views of Bermuda and Britain are in conflict, as they inevitably will be from time to time. It would be difficult for a Bermudian to convey policies and decisions, knowing full well that they are anathema to a great many Bermudians. And it is unlikely that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office would ever be able to wholeheartedly accept the views of a Bermudian as being unbiased.No Governor is co-opted by Bermuda. But many leave with an understanding of the little miracle that this Island is and a great liking for the Island and its inhabitants. As a result, former Governors are often great advocates for Bermuda, in Parliament and elsewhere. That's a benefit that should not be derided, as long as Bermuda remains an Overseas Territory.Mr Lister's comments came as part of a broader debate on Independence, for which his fellow MP Marc Bean made a passionate plea. Mr Bean said Independence had ended racial politics in the Bahamas, adding that racism and colonialism were synonymous.That's not entirely accurate. Those who follow Bahamian politics closely will know that race and racism remain a topic of debate. But demographics alone dictate that it will be of less significance as whites make up about one tenth of the Bahamian population compared to 40 percent in Bermuda.Nor is it true that Independence will ease racial tensions as a matter of course. They remain sharp in sovereign states like Trinidad and Guyana, although the divide is between blacks and South Asians and not whites and blacks. Whether Bermuda goes independent or remains an Overseas Territory the one thing that will ease racial tension in Bermuda is the narrowing and eventual eradication of the wealth gap between white and black Bermudians.Independence will not naturally bring that about and being an Overseas Territory will not naturally prevent it. It is up to Bermudians and Bermudians alone to make it happen.