GOVERNOR Sir John Vereker has given his stamp of approval to the Bermuda trip to Washington, even though he will not be part of the island delegation.

Bermuda's status as a UK Overseas Territory means that Britain is responsible for the island's foreign affairs.

The Governor was invited by US Consul General Gregory Slayton to travel with the delegation, which includes Premier Alex Scott, Finance Minister Paula Cox and Labour & Home Affairs Minister Randy Horton, but Sir John declined the offer.

Sources have indicated that the Governor did not wish to steal any limelight from the Government delegation.

Deputy Governor Nick Carter said yesterday: "The US Consul General has properly kept Government House informed as his plans have moved forward and we have been entirely supportive of those plans.

"Also quite properly, we have had no input into those plans, which are a matter for the US authorities."

There will, however, be some British participation in the diplomatic tour.

On the day the delegation arrives in the US capital, May 16, one of their first ports of call will be a meeting with the UK's Deputy Ambassador to the US, Alan Charlton.

"We've had really strong support for this initiative from the Governor and the Foreign & Commonwealth Office," Mr. Slayton said.

"I mentioned the idea to the Governor three or four months ago and he could not have been more supportive."

Meanwhile, the controversy over the invitation and "dis-invitation" of Opposition politicians to join the delegation continued. It seems clear that the initial plan was to include a United Bermuda Party (UBP) presence on the trip, but what exactly stopped that from happening is still unclear.

Mr. Slayton made no comment on the matter when questioned by this newspaper on Tuesday. However, in an interview with VSB News, he said the subject of members of both major parties being invited had come up in early discussions.

He added: "I'm a bi-partisan kind of guy."

Opposition Leader Wayne Furbert (pictured above) said the Premier had told him straight that the plan was for a bi-partisan trip.

"The Premier told me that," Mr. Furbert said. "I recall it quite clearly."

Mr. Scott said this week that he could not remember making the comment and that notes taken at the meeting showed no record of it.

Mr. Furbert said: "I'm disappointed, because I would like to see the parties work together more often for the good of Bermuda.

"I think somebody is saying, 'We're the Government, who do they think they are? We don't want them with us'.

"If I were the leader of the country, I'd want the Opposition with me. I'm interested first in what's good for the island."

When they were in opposition, Progressive Labour Party politicians were not invited to accompany UBP Government officials to Washington when negotiations over the baselands started in the mid-1990s.

However, former Opposition Leader Grant Gibbons, who was involved in some those discussions spelled out the reasoning behind their exclusion.

"During the 1990s, the PLP were arguing that the US should pay rent for the baselands properties they were occupying," Dr. Gibbons said.

"That was ridiculous because there was a lease in place. That's why the PLP were never invited, because the last thing we needed during those negotiations was an antagonistic element."