Former United Bermuda Party (UBP) senator Wendell Hollis has come out in support of his old party colleague Trevor Moniz.

Mr. Hollis, a lawyer, quit the party in 1994, in protest of Sir John Swan's Independence initiative. He later acted as legal adviser for the "People's Five" - a group of UBP MPs, including Mr. Moniz, which opposed the introduction of hamburger franchise McDonald's to Bermuda.

After a two year suspension from the party whip, Mr. Moniz was last month officially made an independent Member of Parliament when the UBP parliamentary group voted against reinstating him.

In a Letter to the Editor, Mr. Hollis praised Mr. Moniz's role, saying he served the Country and his party well.

Mr. Hollis points out that Mr. Moniz is the last of the People's Five still in parliament and says that the UBP parliamentary group "continued to harbour deep animosity toward Trevor" when Grant Gibbons was selected as the party's leader.

"Trevor Moniz has served his country well and by so doing served the United Bermuda Party well, however, unfortunately they could not see it."