Former Tourism Minister Renee Webb was "inventive, creative even" with her public comments following her resignation from the Cabinet, said Premier Alex Scott.

And, speaking out the day after Ms Webb's surprise resignation from his Cabinet, the Premier said that she may have had difficulties working with a strong leader.

He denied Ms Webb's claims that she was treated differently because she was a woman.

"I don't agree that she was treated any differently because she was a woman. But she was a member of Cabinet who may have tested the Premier and found out she couldn't get around, over or through. That I make no apologies for."

Mr. Scott said he had been reluctant to criticise Ms Webb, but she had some "misconceptions" about the Premier's role.

"She generated yesterday criticisms that I was hearing for the first time," he said. "So in that way she was very imaginative, inventive, creative even. But I don't doubt for one moment they reflect the way she saw things.

But the Premier said that Ms Webb had "misconceptions about the role of a Minister and the role of the Premier in Cabinet and in Government."

And without going into the details of the conversation that she and I had at lunchtime based on her feelings ? and she's reflected some of them publicly ? I think it's important for me to make this point publicly..."

He said that Ms Webb had said that all Cabinet Ministers were responsible and the Premier was "first among equals".

"While I agree that it's true up to a point, the office of Premier is the leader. I wanted her to have no doubt that I was the man ? she did have doubts about that ? the Premier is the leader, the buck stops with him."

He said it was his understanding that the Premier had the final word.

"And I think I recall my saying something like 'you will not go over, you will not go around, you will not go through me'. I think that was the point where the Minister felt that if her views differ dramatically from mine, then she had her answer - I was the one. When it came to the conducting of business of both Cabinet and the Government."

He stressed that Tuesday afternoon was the first time Ms Webb had discussed her concerns. "She had never given me the opportunity to accept her offer of resignation. The first time it was given to me was yesterday. And we accepted it with regret yesterday."

There had been no prior indication that something had gone wrong with their working relationship, he said when asked. "I certainly have no difficulty working with women. I've done so with Dame Lois Browne Evans. I did so with the former Premier Jennifer Smith. But I think Minister Webb had difficulty with a strong leader," Mr. Scott said.

"I never thought I would say that publicly, but I've just realised that now she felt I was, probably, an immovable object. Of course I listen, and I do consult. But I do arrive at a point where I say ' this is the way it will be.'"

He said he had in the past acquiesced to other people's viewpoints in the Cabinet, and added that it was common knowledge that Minister Webb felt strongly about gaming machines and casinos in Bermuda.

"The PLP party, the PLP Cabinet had come to a position that had been established by a former PLP administration that the gaming machines would not be permitted to continue beyond July 1. And that was the position we took. I think Minister Webb's interest in gaming and casinos went beyond that date, and I think on occasions I recall her pursuing the interest of gaming," he said. "For the foreseeable future that subject had been dealt with - that may be something we differed on."

Mr. Scott stressed that he was only speaking out because Ms Webb had taken her concerns to the public.

The former Tourism Minister's management style was the subject of an inquiry which dismissed the serious allegations but found that her style was "problematic," the Premier reminded this newspaper. "It would be fair comment for me to say that there still remained management challenges in Tourism as a result of the Minister's management style," he continued.

"I was always hoping we could work through," he replied when asked if those issues were still being addressed.

"But when she brought her management style to Cabinet, she ran up against an immovable object - the Premier... And I only realize that she interpreted the fact that I could stand firm on given issues, not every issue, but in issues that she had an interest, she personalised it and said 'you're taking your position because I'm a woman' or you're taking your position because of reasons I don't subscribe to - which I'm hearing for the first time when we talked yesterday," Mr. Scott continued.

"So the bottom line is I do not agree that I have a problem working with women in Cabinet. I invite anyone to talk to my colleagues, male or female, and I think you will find that Minister Webb has a minority view."

He said that his ascendancy to the Premiership came at a challenging time for his party, and he could not have managed to have a consensus without a willingness to listen and acquiesce to views not his own. "There has been no sign of discord until Minister Webb has expressed her view and she's entitled to her view and she did the honourable thing. She didn't agree with the Premier and she didn't agree ? based on her now public assertion ? with the way some things were being conducted in Cabinet so she resigned."

Asked what part of Ms Webb's comments he had heard for the very first time, he said "most of it."

As to his reaction to yesterday's editorial which asked whether Ms Webb had been forced out, he said "Minister Webb resigned... I got the sense that she didn't have the run or control of Cabinet that she felt she wanted."

The Minister was appointed in October, the decision was made in December, it was a Cabinet decision. And asked whether he had ever considered asking for her resignation, he replied "Listen. To err is human. We all err along the way."Mr. Scott added that he had been glad for a second chance when he had made mistakes. "And so in the case of all the Ministers we don't fault them because from time to time things could have been done better. And that's certainly true for Minister Webb. But we are a team and we stood beside her, we encouraged her. But as I say there comes a realisation that the Premier is in charge. And maybe she tested it for the first time yesterday and the result was she found out that in many ways we are an immovable object. On points of principle we, too, feel very strongly."