Committee for the Independence of Bermuda executive Mr. Dale Butler announced yesterday he will be boycotting the Independence referendum in August.

While the Committee is firmly in favour of the referendum, Mr. Butler said his long term allegiance to the Progressive Labour Party meant he would not be voting.

The United Bermuda Party's "empty plate of proposals'' particularly regarding its position on citizenship had facilitated the decision, he said. He also accused the Premier of being influenced by overseas pollsters in his push for Independence.

And while the UBP leadership had been challenged by renegades Mr. Trevor Moniz and Mrs. Ann Cartwright Decouto, the PLP remained united over the issue.

"There is no dissent within the PLP over its leadership,'' Mr. Butler said.

In a speech to the Hamilton Lions Club yesterday, Mr. Butler also accused Bermuda's banks and monied groups of having their own interests at heart. If they felt Independence would benefit them, they would readily choose that route, he said.

"Be prepared to see that happen over the next five years,'' he warned. On the topic of racism, Mr. Butler took issue with a suggestion in a recent racism report that Bermuda should diversify its ex-pat community with new ethnic groups. The report by Princeton professor Dr. Carol Swain was commissioned by the Bank of N.T. Butterfield last year to find ways of eradicating institutionalised racism.

Mr. Butler claimed it would be "stupid'' to introduce another minority group into the Country.

"It is already a known fact that most of these groups cling to their own -- they are reluctant to nick marbles with us, join our churches or clubs.'' It was more important, he said, to examine why people were not getting along.

In his opinion, limited resources, fear and ignorance were to blame. With limited land and business opportunities people were more defensive of what they had.

Mr. Butler also questioned the concept of a multi-cultural society which, he said, had been introduced by overseas experts in an attempt to "carve out a niche for their employment''.

"Does multicultural education mean that because we have a few people from Mongolia we have to study their culture even though their contribution to our heritage is insignificant and invisible against that of a `Sir' Stanley Burgess, Joe Fereira and W.F. Chummy Hayward (among others)?''