Walter Roberts, an early member of the Progressive Labour Party who served as its deputy leader as well as MP for Sandys South, has died at 89.

Ewart Brown, a former premier, said: “Wanda and I are deeply saddened by the news of Walter Roberts’s passing.

“He was an elder in the PLP to whom we turned for advice. We wish his family peace and understanding.”

Mr Roberts declared his retirement from politics after 35 years only months ahead of the PLP’s landmark electoral win in 1998.

He was succeeded in Sandys South by the former PLP MP Terry Lister.

Mr Roberts was a teacher at Sandys Secondary School from 1958 to 1962 but was persuaded to give up his job and run for Parliament by the doctor and activist Eustace A Cann, who he regarded as his political mentor.

In a 2000 interview, Mr Roberts told The Royal Gazette: “Although I was reluctant, he persuaded me to do so. He used his political clout to rally support around my successful candidacy.”

Mr Roberts was elected a Member of the Colonial Parliament for Sandys South as independent MP in the General Election of 1963 — five years before universal adult suffrage was instituted in Bermuda.

He recalled the hurdles he faced running for political office when the property vote remained in place.

At the 50-year commemoration of the 1968 General Election, when Bermudians went to the ballots for the first time under the island’s new constitution, Mr Roberts recalled in the House of Assembly: “I was first elected in 1963, under some dastardly, restrictive, oligarchical electoral rules.

“The elector had to be at least 25 years old.

“If the elector had land worth at least £60, or approximately $150, he had two votes for each constituency that he owned land in.”

He added that political power was “in the hands of the Front Street, White, merchant and banking crowd” — but that change was under way.

For the 1968 General Election, Mr Roberts ran for the first time in the PLP, and served as deputy leader until 1971.

He was appointed deputy leader a second time in 1985 when the late Frederick Wade restructured the party after a bruising electoral loss.

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Mr Roberts’s career during his long spell in the political Opposition included shadow minister for portfolios including tourism, marine and ports, health and social services and prisons, public works, and transport and communications.

He was instrumental on the Boundaries Commission, redrawing the electoral rules for constituencies, which came into effect in 2003.

He also served as chairman of the seniors charity Age Concern.

Sir John Swan, a former premier, counted Mr Roberts among his extended family: his late wife, Lady Swan, was his first cousin.

“We started in business at the same time in the 1960s when he was in insurance and I was in real estate. He later bought a guesthouse in Somerset.

“He was educated in Canada; I was educated in the US.”

A Berkeley Institute graduate, Mr Roberts obtained his bachelor of arts degree in 1958 from Queen's University in Ontario.

Sir John said: “We both experienced the challenges of that period together. He was on one side of the political spectrum and I was on the other.

“Regardless, we were always close and dear friends who sought to assist each other as best we could. His wife, Joyce, and their two daughters were part of our family.”

Sir John said Mr Roberts was deeply involved in Sandys Parish, including the development of Sandys Secondary School.

“Many people in that area turned to him for advice.”

Sir John said Mr Roberts was a keen runner and the pair were also partners together with the late Arnold Francis in Universal Electric, before selling the business.

“He was someone who saw the big picture, who wanted Bermuda to succeed. He brought to Bermuda a sincerity and purpose.

“He believed that doing the right thing was the only thing to do, which is the way he was brought up by his two fantastic parents.

“He spent many years in Parliament giving counsel and advice to the PLP. He leaves a lot of good friends behind.”

Dennis Lister, the Speaker of the House, called Mr Roberts “the last of that era”.

“Not only did I lose a former political colleague but I have lost my mentor and a very, very dear friend right up to the very end.

“I would not be in this political circle if it was not for Mr Roberts. He stood behind me, encouraged me, even pushed me into this space at a very early age.”

Both men ran businesses in Somerset, Mr Lister said. Mr Roberts was highly active for the PLP in Sandys.

“We worked as a team in Sandys and that was before I was elected. It was thanks to his support and endorsement that I stood as a candidate in 1989.

“He served on the Boundaries Commission, I believe three consecutive times. That was something he took on as a passion, making sure that effective changes were made.”

Mr Roberts’s tenure as an MP was during the days of dual constituencies, when Walter Lister was his running mate.

Jamahl Simmons, the present PLP MP in Sandys South, posted his condolences on social media.

“He joined us at a time when businessmen in particular faced tremendous economic repercussions for fighting the status quo and served as a Member of Parliament with honour and distinction,” he said.

“He spearheaded the modernisation of the party's canvassing and data collection, making the Western PLP branches some of the most effective and successful in Bermuda and building the foundation for the electoral success in 1998 and beyond.”

Mr Simmons added: “I am honoured to serve in the seat he once held and continue to work to fill his incredibly big shoes.

“He was always supportive, even flying in during elections to support me at the polling station. We worked particularly closely when I served on the Boundaries Commission in 2016, and I was glad for his experience, wisdom, and mentorship.”

Walter Cuthbert Roberts, a former Sandys South MP and deputy leader of the Progressive Labour Party, was born on December 14, 1933. He died on October 10, 2023, aged 89