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UBP HQ is packed away

UBP leader Kim Swan outside the party’s headquarters earlier this year.

The office of the United Bermuda Party has been packed into boxes marking the official demise of the political party.Boxes of paperwork and files could yesterday be seen piled up ready to move from the political party’s headquarters.On the floor in the middle of the office in Hamilton sat at least eight boxes crammed full of files and several computers, including monitors and keyboards.The offices in the Bermudiana Arcade on Queen Street were locked up but there were no party members present at 5pm yesterday.It comes after an advert was published in both of the Island’s newspapers stating that the 47-year-old political party would cease to operate from yesterday, June 30.The advert stated: “In pursuance with a resolution taken at a Special Meeting of the Central Council of the United Bermuda Party held on 3rd May 2011, notice is hereby given that the United Bermuda Party will cease to operate as a Political Body as of 30th June 2011.”The UBP ruled for 30 years until 1998, winning eight back-to-back General Elections between 1968 and 1993.At the May 3 meeting, the UBP’s central committee voted 68 to 14 in favour of dismantling in order to merge with the Bermuda Democratic Alliance to form the One Bermuda Alliance. The party then split over the move to dissolve the party and join forces with the BDA, which splintered from them in 2009.But the launch of the OBA was delayed after Kim Swan and others won a temporary injunction to the move on the grounds the consultation process was “deeply flawed”. Seven of the nine UBP MPs then sidestepped this by resigning as members and Kim Swan was forced to resign as leader of the Opposition.This paved the way for the OBA to be set up, with John Barritt named as interim leader, as the politicians were free to act as individuals rather than party members. Since the launch of the OBA in May, the UBP has held just two seats in the House of Assembly.Former UBP Senator Charlie Marshall said earlier this week that he did not know anything about the newspaper advert. Kim Swan, who was in Grenada last night, declined to comment but said he would issue a statement later.