Premier Alex Scott has been both ?discourteous? and ?arrogant? towards the people of Bermuda, Opposition Leader Grant Gibbons said last night.

Dr. Gibbons spoke after Mr. Scott?s impassioned speech to the Bermuda Society in London on Wednesday night pushing independence ? just two weeks after the Throne Speech, where not a word was breathed about the issue.

?It seems he?s giving different messages to different people,? Dr. Gibbons said. ?He seems to be doing more talking about it in the UK than here.?

Those in living in the UK, he added, may not have sufficient knowledge of local issues and may not understand that ?independence is a very low priority here?.

He said he was struck by the fact that the Premier had stated there was much work to be done on independence for Bermuda ? yet, while at home, the Premier had said repeatedly that all Government?s efforts would be bent towards the success of the Social Agenda outlined in the Throne Speech.

?How are they going to spend time on Independence when we thought the Social Agenda was to be the focus of Government?s efforts?? he asked.

Near the end of his speech in London, Mr. Scott stated: ?Through this Government?s ?Social Agenda?, we will reform our politics so that the voice of the people will always speak louder than the din of narrow interests ? and, in so doing, we will regain the participation and remain deserving of the trust of all Bermudians.

?It is our belief that from this place we will pave the road to independence.?

Dr. Gibbons responded to that statement: ?If he is saying they will not pursue independence until the Social Agenda is complete, well, we have heard that could be up to ten years.

?So why is he aggressively pushing independence now in the UK if he has to wait??

The PLP Government has been in place for six years already, he said. ?If it?s taking another ten years (to implement the Social Agenda) ... people will long have given up hope.?

?MPs will today debate changes to the Criminal Code that would beef up penalties for violent crimes while making sentences even more severe in increased penalty zones.

The House of Assembly will also debate amendments to the Historic Wrecks Act.