It may be the closest the United Bermuda Party and the Progressive Labour Party have ever come ? with Sir John Swan and Premier Alex Scott stuck in an elevator at the grand opening of the Atlantis Building yesterday.

After a grand tour of the luxury Parliament/Victoria Street apartments, former Premier and UBP stalwart Sir John was escorting the Premier and senior members of the Cabinet and dignitaries down to the foyer for a series of official opening speeches.

With the Premier was Deputy Premier Ewart Brown, Cabinet Secretary John Drinkwater, Works and Engineering Minister Terry Lister and Fire Chief Vince Hollinsid.

Mr. Hollinsid pulled out his mobile phone in the small space to call the Fire Service and liberated the nine who were stuck for almost 20 minutes in the tiny elevator.

?You could say it brought he and I together in a way that we have never been before,? said Mr. Scott with a smile. ?This was the one time we were in agreement ? we both wanted to get out!?

But Mr. Scott said he would not be buying one of the luxury apartments ? which have starting prices of between $600,000 and $800,000 ? as he could not afford one.

The plush complex, which is the first residential development in Hamilton in the last century, includes a heated swimming pool, on-site deli, gymnasium and communal rooftop sun deck.

?It was hot,? said Government Communication and Information director Beverle Lottimore after being liberated. ?It was hot enough for the windows to steam up. I am not sure how long we were in there for, but it was not that long, maybe 15 to 20 minutes.? As the group waited a fire engine with sirens blazing roared up to the front of the building and firemen rushed in bearing axes.

Word spread through the party that they were liberating the Premier, Sir John and Cabinet Ministers from the lift stuck on the fourth floor and giggles spread through the 100 or so guests sipping champagne in the entrance lobby on Parliament Street.

But the group were freed without incident and the opening ceremony for the 60-unit apartment block went ahead without any further hitches.

?Sir John always comes up with something with a twist,? said Mr. Scott, laughing after the launch. ?But I didn?t expect this.?

Sir John, however, said that the reason for the bust was there were too many people in the elevator, despite having an official capacity of 12.

?It depends on the weight,? he said. ?Everyone got on an everyone was too polite to tell anyone to get off. There were just too many people.?

?When you have a doctor there and the fire chief there, you have to know that everything will be okay,? said Mr. Drinkwater, who confessed to being claustrophobic and struggling for breath during the 20-minute incident. ?There was more laughing taking place than anything else.?

When the group were liberated, they descended by the stairs and were greeted, dripping with sweat, by a cheer from the crowd.