Bermuda's political year was dominated by the landslide November General Election victory for the PLP -- which formed its first administration since it was founded 35 years ago.

And the UBP was forced into Opposition for the first time since the party won the 1968 election, with just 14 seats compared to the PLP's 24.

The year got off to a bad start for the future Government when Rev. Trevor Woolridge quit politics in the wake of a sex scandal.

Rev. Woolridge -- convicted then cleared on appeal of sexually assaulting a woman parishioner -- quit his Hamilton East seat and Bermuda to work in a church in Philadelphia. He had earlier left the PLP to sit as an Independent.

But the PLP stamped its authority on the seat -- traditionally a swing constituency -- when Bermuda Industrial Union leader Derrick Burgess convincingly defeated the UBP's Francis Furbert in February.

The same day, then-Senator Gary Pitman held the UBP Pembroke West seat after Dr. Clarence Terceira announced his retirement from politics.

Earlier that month, Finance Minister Grant Gibbons unveiled the $475 million pre-election Budget -- with what was hoped was a vote-winning combination of a boost for tourism and investing in people.

And overseas, the UK's Labour Government turned its eyes to relations with its colonies. Foreign Secretary Robin Cook pledged a major rewrite of relations with the Dependent Territories -- to be renamed Overseas Territories -- at a meeting of the Dependent Territories Association in London.

And Bermuda -- along with the other colonies -- is now in line to get full British passports and the right to live and work in the UK.

But it later emerged that the review was running in tandem with a worldwide crackdown on so-called offshore "tax havens, although the UK Government insisted there was no link between the new deal and the blacklist plans of both the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development and the European Union.

A crackdown of another sort -- on drugs -- was announced at the end of February by then-Home Affairs Minister Quinton Edness.

Mr. Edness -- in November to become a casualty of the PLP steamroller -- pledged a joint operation with the US Drug Enforcement Administration on the drugs trade through Bermuda's ports, including cruise ships, cargo vessels and private yachts.

May saw Premier Pamela Gordon celebrate her first anniversary as leader with a massive Cabinet shake-up.

Out went Mr. Edness and Environment Minister Irving Pearman, to be replaced by Maxwell Burgess and Harry Soares respectively.

Ex-Education Minister Jerome Dill -- also to fall in November -- took over the new Ministry of Development and Opportunity, while then-Senator Yvette Swan headed up the freshly-minted Government and Community Services Ministry.

But the UBP's train was derailed only days later, when St. George's South MP Grace Bell jumped what in retrospect was a sinking ship to the Opposition benches.

The shock move -- on the opening day of the summer session of the House -- reduced the UBP's working majority to just one.

In June, the House passed the controversial Private Member's bill aimed at allowing the redevelopment of Marriott's Castle Harbour Resort -- over the head of environmental protests.

And Mr. DeCouto -- made a Commander of the British Empire in the Queen's New Year Honours list today -- announced he would retire as Speaker and from his Smith's North seat at the end of the session.

PLP St. George's North MP Leon (Jimmy) Williams died after a long illness.

In September, the long-running row on whether Bermuda-born PLP MP Dr. Ewart Brown was eligible to sit in the House because of his US nationality ended.

Dr. Brown announced he had formally renounced his US passport -- ending speculation that his "oath of allegiance to a foreign power'' disqualified him under the Bermuda Constitution.

Premier Pamela Gordon made the long-awaited announcement that the race was on, with November 9 the date for the General Election on October 20.

Both sides pulled out all the stops with massive advertising campaigns and the PLP went abroad to have its glossy manifesto "A New Bermuda'' printed.

And a Broadcasting Commission ban on talking politics on radio chat shows was overturned after a court challenge.

Maverick PLP Shadow Minister Alex Scott sparked controversy by claiming that UBP-supporting could be involved in the drugs trade -- albeit unknowingly.

But the UBP suffered badly due to an advert featuring dreadlocked ex-Ministry of Finance Civil Servant and PLP candidate Delaey Robinson questioning his ability to be Finance Minister.

The ad was branded as racist -- and a Royal Gazette probe unmasked the man behind the ad, ad agency chief Dusty Hind, who later quit the Aardvark firm.

And the early hours of November 10 saw Jennifer Smith make a victory speech to cheering crowds outside the party HQ in Court Street.

Later, Pamela Gordon said the UBP would have to restructure to face the challenges of the future.