Contenders
With the leadership question hovering over the United Bermuda Party just one year after Grant Gibbons was forced out and replaced by Wayne Furbert The Royal Gazette looks at the strengths and weaknesses of possible contenders.MAXWELL BURGESSPLUS POINTS> Politically savvy and quick on his feet Maxwell Burgess is respected and sometimes feared by the PLP from whose ranks he came. Seen as having the common touch he is probably the candidate most likely to give Ewart Brown a run for his money in the forthcoming election. He skewered the Government over the bungled Bermuda Homes for People project. One political insider said: “He has tremendous leadership abilities. He’s a brilliant strategist — if you listen to him you will be all right. If you don’t you will pay the consequences.” Not likely to bother building consensus the UBP could expect firm leadership rather than death by committee under a Maxwell Burgess reign although he would be one to delegate rather than delve into detail. “He’s the candidate most likely to appeal to voters who normally vote PLP,” said one source.
DOWNSIDE: Broke ranks to denounce his old running mate Mr. Furbert and confirm he was stepping down at the next election it would be difficult to see how he could do a U-turn to become leader after helping prolong the UBP’s agonies. However he did leave the door open when he said he would reconsider leaving politics if there was different leader which most people take to mean him. Lost out in repeated votes to Wayne Furbert in last year’s leadership elections because he was unable to attract support from white MPs — many of whom opposed his stance on independence and John Swan’s bid to bring McDonald’s to the Island. He did little to lobby MPs and only attracted four votes in repeated ballots against Mr. Furbert’s six with four MPs steadfastly abstaining until one finally switched to Mr. Furbert and Mr. Burgess threw in the towel. Said a source: “He has a lot of barnacles on the bottom of his ship.̶B>MICHAEL DUNKLEYPLUS POIN<$> Hardworking, aggressive and successful Michael Dunkley did well in his first brief scoring points on law and order in the Home Affairs brief. And he did even better when moved to health were he unearthed the BHC scandal. Showed he is able to get black support by easily winning Devonshire East he is now taking on a massive gamble by moving seats to fight Smith’s North. If he pulls it off he could have a big claim to the leadership down the road — but maybe not this time.
DOWNSIDE: As the owner of a large business he is likely to appeal to the business elite but his aggressive style leaves some cold. However he has won praise from some surprising quarters including PLP supporter Julian Hall. One source said: “People either love him or hate him. You can get a black construction worker who says ‘I love that Michael Dunkley’ and a white business guy who says “I hate that Michael Dunkley’. It’s weird.” Another party source said: “He’s very aggressive, he can rub people the wrong way.DAVID DODWELLPLUS POS:<$> Liked by some in the PLP he is another white member who proved he can attract black support by holding Southampton East Central which has similar racial demographics to the PLP’s safe Sandys seats. Has massive word of mouth following based on his reputation as a good employer at The Reefs — one of the few hotels to have an almost exclusively Bermudian staff. Has a consensus-building style and is not one to berate the PLP for the sake of it. Is one of the few whites to recognise the wholesale change needed in the party according to one source who said: “He has called for the party to change its name and totally reinvent itself.”
DOWNSIDE: Difficult to pin down ideologically, some say he lacks core beliefs.
And while he has respect as a hotelier he doesn’t necessarily have any deeper contacts within the black community. One observer said: “It’s an employer/employee relationship whereas John Barritt has a fellow Bermudian relationship — he formed grass roots friendships years ago.&21;JOHN BARRITT<$>PLUS NTS:<$> Has the most cross over appeal of any of the white candidates he is seen as credible having built up friendships in sport and other realms years ago. One party source said: “He has that traction. He played for Social Club when it was unpopular for whites to go to the ‘back of town’, let alone play for a team. He made friendships with black Bermudians long before he went into politics. He’s genuine.” Articulate he is one of the party’s biggest hitters in Parliament.
DOWNSIDE: He lost to Grant Gibbons in the race to succeed Pam Gordon and then ruled himself out of a run last year when Wayne Furbert and Maxwell Burgess fought it out so he is unlikely to step forward this time around. Sources say he appears to indecisive. Could be too interested in the finer points of parliamentary procedure rather than cobbling together vote-winning pcies.PATRICIA GORDON-PAMPLINPLUOINTS:<$> Articulate, confident but with an unpretentious common touch the smart money will go on Patricia Pamplin-Gordon if the UBP decide to ditch leader Wayne Furbert. Has matured and improved her style in the House after being too nit-picking and aggressive in the early days. She began with the shadow Youth and Sport brief and then moved into bigger things including Works and Engineering before taking on Finance after Grant Gibbons resigned that brief. One party admirer said: “It was relatively seamless even though they were some pretty big shoes to fill.” As a player with Bermuda’s famous Big Blue Machine she has a slew of contacts in the black community who will think fondly of her. She was quickly able to shed the mantle of being “Pam Gordon’s sister” and build up a solid reputation in her own right. With Bermuda well used to having women political leaders she is a double asset in broadening the party’s appeal to the females who make up much of the floating vote.
DOWNSIDE: Not seen as a visionary but rather as a nuts and bolts politician.
Ran as an Independent in Warwick East in the 1993 General Election which some blamed for the loss of Gerald SimonsR seat. BOB RICHARDS<$>P POINTS:<$> Able and clever Bob Richards beefs up the party’s intellectual fire power. Arguably the best speaker in the Senate he was seen as doing a good job as Telecommunications Minister in the last UBP government and will surely be in Cabinet if the party ever gets reelected.
DOWNSIDE: Lacks charisma, many people find him condescending and with little vo appeal. JON BRUNSON
DOWNSIDE: Still finding his feet he is unlikely to emerge unless a compromise candid is needed.GRANT GIBBONSPLUS POINTS:<$> One of the party’s best communicators he was given praise when Maxwell Burgess rounded on Wayne Furbert last week.
DOWNSIDE: Having lost the 2003 election the party ditched him two years later after seeing little sign of progress. Although he is likely to be back in Cabinet if the party ever win Government his chance at leadershappears over.COLE SIMMONSPLUS POINTS:<$> Enthusiastic about his environment brief some say he has improved his speaking style in parliament.
DOWNSIDE: Not one of the party’s big hitters some feel he was not vocal enough on the controversial plan to build the hospital on the anical Gardens.SUZANN ROBERTS-HOLSHOUSERPLUS POINTS:<$> A good constituency MP she knows a thing or two about building support.
DOWNSIDE: Perhaps too parochial as she concentrates on retaining marginat. David’s.TREVOR MO<$>PLUS POINTS:<$> Opinionated and principled he is admired for bringing in the MPs Register of Interest — despite opposition from within his own party.
DOWNSIDE: Is seen as too much of a maverick to garner enough support win the leadership.NEVILLE DARRELLPLUS POINTS:<$> Genuine in his brief as Education Spokesman.
DOWNSIDE: Is retiring at the next election with back problems.
