PLP Sen. Terry Lister said claims linking the failure of the Co-Op Supermarket with his party do not follow any logic and are "ridiculous''.

UBP Sen. E.T. (Bob) Richards sparked off a war of words between himself and Sen. Lister in the Senate last Wednesday by making such a claim.

"The allegations (made by Sen. Richards) are ridiculous,'' Sen. Lister said in an interview. "The Co-Op is separate from the BIU (the Bermuda Industrial Union) and from the PLP. There is no relationship of any sort. It's the sort of allegation that tries to make the PLP look like it isn't fit to run the country. That's nonsense.'' Sen. Richards made the connection on the basis that PLP Chairman Victor Fishington is president of the Bermuda Workers Cooperative Society, the organisation that owned and operated the defunct supermarket.

He said business fail or succeed whether they're run by PLP or UBP supporters.

It is wrong to connect the failure of a business or its success with the ability of a party to govern. Businesses run by UBP members have failed and businesses run by PLP members have succeeded but nobody would then jump to make a connection with a party's ability.