members to rally round Premier Jennifer Smith as the momentum for a challenge to her leadership appeared to be growing.

Mr. Scott, who was beaten by Ms Smith for the leadership five years ago, said delegates at next week's PLP conference should re-affirm their support for the Premier.

Environment Minister Arthur Hodgson finally signalled last week that he will stand for the leadership -- and thus the Premiership -- if enough PLP supporters urge him to do so.

Mr. Hodgson's supporters said last night that the number of people inside and outside the party urging him to stand has been "overwhelming'' in the past week.

But Mr. Scott, the Works and Engineering Minister, urged any party members being promoted as possible challengers to decline the invitation to stand at conference and to give Ms Smith their support.

Mr. Scott was touted by voters in a poll in last week's Bermuda Sun as a possible alternative leader if Ms Smith was to step down.

When asked by The Royal Gazette yesterday if he would stand, he said: "Absolutely not, under no circumstances. I'm quite a supporter of the Premier and would not be even contemplating it.

"I hope that in the end the party will use this as an opportunity to confirm the Premier.

"(If there is a challenge) she will win, but this will be an ideal opportunity for anyone who has been suggested as an interested party or candidate to decline and allow the delegates to confirm the Premier because two years is not enough for the plans to be really completed.

"She's done extremely well and she's the reason we won, and the public would not like to see us getting into a leadership challenge.'' Mr. Hodgson is keen to be seen as sitting back from the controversy, waiting for people to come to him, but his supporters are now busily lobbying key PLP delegates.

A prominant Hodgson supporter within the PLP told The Royal Gazette last night: "Within the PLP -- including MPs -- and outside, there has been an avalanche of people really persuasively asking him to run.

"It's white people, black people, business people and within the PLP who think he should run.

"He has huge public support across the board in every segment of Bermuda society.

"Its been pretty constant, but in the last three weeks it has picked up a tremendous momentum, and in the last seven days it has been overwhelming.

"Now it is a matter of getting to the target areas, the MPs and delegates, because they will make the decision.'' Minister defends Premier The source refused to disclose how many delegates he thought Mr. Hodgson could rely on or whether he would win, but said "we are getting an increasing delegate support''.

He added: "Arthur Hodgson's primary reason for running in this is to be supportive of the number of people who are asking him to run and also for him to be of real value to the country.

"I think he can make a contribution, but it is the overwhelming support that is encouraging him to stand up and be counted.

"The Premier has said publicly that she would welcome a challenge and this would be good to show democracy is alive and well in the party.

"There is a concern across the board, and we've seen it in the newspapers, about the Premier's job rating.'' A poll in last week's Bermuda Sun showed Ms Smith's approval rating as Premier had tumbled from 87 percent in May last year, to 41 percent now.

Last night Terry Lister, the Development, Opportunity and Government Services Minister, ruled himself out of a leadership challenge.

When asked if Mr. Hodgson should stand, he said: "He has to make his own decision and I can't influence him one way or the other, and I don't intend to influence him.'' In response to the same opinion poll, which showed him just behind Mr. Hodgson as the voters' choice to replace Ms Smith, he said: "I really don't have anything to say.

"She is the Premier, she's the leader, and until someone informs me otherwise, I will be following her lead.'' The Premier is currently in Halifax, Nova Scotia, receiving an honorary degree.

Alex Scott