Michael Fahy took over as the United Bermuda Party chairman last week.

Here he mulls over what the party must do to get re-elected and why MPs need to live with criticism - even from expats.

New United Bermuda Party chairman Michael Fahy certainly has his work cut out for him.

He has been chosen to head up the organisational arm of the party as it struggles to overcome its third defeat on the bounce, something which has even sparked talk of mutiny.

Before new leader Kim Swan was elected a group of up to seven MPs had been plotting to form a break-away party. But they had lacked critical mass to become the official Opposition so the project has been shelved.

Mr. Fahy, 32, denies being under any pressure to help the party get the formula right. But everything is on the table as the party struggles to make the breakthrough.

Wider input will be sought for leadership changes - something currently left in the hands of the 14 MPs who have been very busy with four different leaders in two years.

But the party is not about to panic.

"We have to remember we came out of the election with 47 percent of the vote. It's not like we only got 20 percent.

"How deep cutting those changes need to be will have to be canvassed. We can't just talk to our members, we have to talk to the wider community, what they want to see in the United Bermuda Party."

He said the party's parliamentarians were still on top of their game despite the election defeat and he hopes consultation over new ideas will be exciting for members.

"That might energise them again. That's what political parties are about, they have to come out of these defeats and be stronger for it."

Mr Fahy denied a "totally misleading" electronic media report that said a name change was its first priority.

It's merely an option. And a name change on its own won't be credible unless there were other serious changes, argues Mr. Fahy.

After the election, then-chairman Shawn Crockwell said it was perhaps time to move away from the old guard white MPs given the party's problems in getting elected.

However Mr. Fahy argues they had made great contributions and it was up to them to decide their own future.

"But any idea needs to be looked at as part of a wider discussion."

Recently new MP Darius Tucker hinted that the parliamentary group might be ahead of the wider membership in the need for change. Asked if there was an inherent tension between the MPs and ordinary members Mr. Fahy said: "Not at all."

He said the party members had elected a new executive on a mandate of change - from expanding its youth base to dealing with the history of the party.

"People realise political parties have to change with the times."

But he said the party's philosophy - of unity, proper management of the economy, good education and housing for all - was not up for grabs.

"I don't think our philosophy needs to change. The perception of how it is perceived by the general public needs to change.

"We need to be better at expressing our views to the public, we need to get that philosophy out there so people better understand it. That's really the issue."

After the election one PLP stalwart told this newspaper the UBP's manifesto had been good but its campaign had been awful.

Asked what could be tried which had not been tried already Mr. Fahy said the PLP had lost nine straight elections and that making the breakthrough when in Opposition could take some time.

"It is really about thinking hard about what you do to change people's perceptions. I always get confused when we are painted into a corner, that we are somehow the party looking to just assist white people who don't have the interests of the whole community at heart.

"But look at our leader who has been in politics for 25 years, has been a voice for those less fortunate regularly and consistently." Mr. Fahy said the party was broad-based in parliament and with its unsuccessful candidates.

Probed what else could be done Mr. Fahy said leader Kim Swan was working on an initiative about race in Bermuda with details to emerge later.

And Mr. Fahy is not about to reveal why he felt the UBP lost again.

While the PLP picked up another comfortable victory, Mr. Fahy said it's scale was down to Bermuda's voting system.

"But ignoring the persons who voted against them - they do so at their peril.

"We see it all around the world in Westminster-style systems - this skewed result. Indeed it happened (against) the PLP for years."

The UBP's strategy had been to have candidates selected early in many key seats but that tactic failed to deliver most of the marginals as the party even lost some seats.

"Dame Jennifer Smith was on the doorstep in St. George's for a lot longer than two years before she was elected.

"Politics is not something one gets into thinking you are going to get elected within one year of showing you are in the community. You have to earn people's trust.

"That's not to say the unsuccessful candidates were untrustworthy - but we obviously need to do some more work."

Some feel it is a lost cause. Recently Energy Minister Terry Lister said the next election was virtually in the bag for the PLP.

"That borders on arrogance does it not? It's up to them to make those sort of remarks, I wouldn't have thought they should be that confident. We are only a few percentage points behind, we were not wiped off the face of the earth."

With an election some years away Mr. Fahy said the UBP had time to get its message out.

"We do have an uphill battle but this is an opportunity for us to make changes and deal with things that have been misconstrued."

It will involve challenging what UBP supporters claim has been a distorted re-write of the party's history by the PLP.

And he said the PLP's habit of blaming the UBP for any problems that still exists were becoming less credible as time passed. "People in this country are a little bit tired or that." And he believes they are also tired of the race baiting.

He knows some of it will come his way now he has stepped forward as party chairman but he believes his record in the community will take the sting out of some of the attacks.

"If it comes it comes, but I don't intend to sit on the backfoot all the time and try to defend myself."

While Mr. Fahy's face might be unfamiliar to many, the chances are you have heard his name.

He's long been one of The Royal Gazette's most prolific letter writers, even when he was living abroad.

Not surprisingly he's disgusted that others feel too intimidated to sign their names to their opinions for fear of retribution.

"I think that is indicative of some of the comments that have come from the Progressive Labour Party against guest workers or those who disagree with them."

Mr. Fahy said the recent comments from Works Minister Derrick Burgess levelled against Royal Gazette sports editor Adrian Robson were 'deplorable'.

Mr. Burgess, as part of a cross-bench attack on a controversial sports column, said of Mr. Robson: "I just hope he doesn't have a PRC or status because if he doesn't then we will certainly try to rouse up my young folks to have him out of this country."

Mr. Fahy, who is disappointed some on his own side joined in with Mr. Burgess, said guest workers should be able to express their opinions freely.

"And we should be able to disagree with their opinions but not threaten them with being booted off the island."

Guest workers were often the backbone of charitable organisations which benefited Bermudians, said Mr. Fahy, who pointed out that PLP hero EF Gordon had been a non-Bermudian.

"In my view he did fantastic things. If he was threatened that's terrible but he made positive contributions to this country and we have to remember that."

He said politicians in Bermuda needed to developer a thicker skin and he doubts whether any Bermudian MP would be able to survive a media grilling typical in England where tough questioning was expected and respected.

Mr. Fahy has seen this first hand having spent seven years living in England, including five years working in the City of London.

He did volunteer work with young people involved in crime, in Tower Hamlets - a poor London borough with a very high Bangledeshi community.

It's a community that is well integrated, said Mr. Fahy. "I was a little bit surprised when I came back to Bermuda. In London I saw a community that was one to a certain extent.

"I think in Bermuda you come back and there is always discussions about race, that didn't necessarily exist where I was living in London.

"There seemed to be a lot more acceptance of different communities."

For the race issue to diminish it will take the two communities to understand more about each other. "We do need to talk and engage in events together.

"People say only blacks go to soccer games. If that's the case the white community needs to make an effort to attend, to integrate, to be together and be seen together."

It's a philosophy he tries to practice, rather than just preach. Since coming back, Mr Fahy, who is married with a five-month-old son, has done volunteer working helping people with their career development.

He also gives free legal advice at The Centre and is a YouthNet mentor.

"I think everyone should be involved in those kinds of things. That is not about a race. It is about what you can do for you community. A lot of people are advantaged.

"I did very well here, I was able to go away to university, get a good career. I think everyone has to make that contribution, we must make that contribution.

"That spreads understanding between the races - to show we are all equal, we all need opportunity and we all might need a step up sometimes, we can do that.

"We can do that as a political party or as individuals, but you demonstrate how you are by the way you lead your life on a daily basis."