This newspaper should probably be grateful for the attack. For far too long we have suffered unjustified slings and arrows from those who claim we are the mouthpiece, and worse, of the UBP. This weekend's UBP VIEW was put out by the UBP office and printed in the Mid-Ocean News. The public will have noticed recently that if, like former UBP Senator Wendell Hollis, you dare to disagree, you are instantly attacked by the UBP.

Be that as it may, what will interest the public most is the fact that the UBP is now desperate to find a scapegoat for its repeated blunders since the October election.

To that end, Friday's UBP VIEW lies a good deal about how the current debate on Independence came about and then attempts to blame its current Independence mess on the "misinformation machine''. The problem, as the UBP sees it, is that the media allows the people of Bermuda to have a say in Bermuda's affairs. According to the UBP VIEW, it is wrong to present public opinion as newsworthy and worse to present it as a fact because that creates "myths'' against the UBP. Imagine that! This newspaper has been chastised for some "sins'' in the past but never for one of which we are more proud.

The fact is that the UBP Government has managed to divide itself ever since the election and now needs a scapegoat. UBP VIEW says the "misinformation machine'' confused the public. For "misinformation machine'' we think you should read "United Bermuda Party''.

The UBP remained in power after the election but only by a thread. Its image as a "manager'' had been severely damaged. The UBP hold on the public was slender and threatened. The patterns emerging from the election made it clear that the people wanted their Government to deal with social issues and high on the list was race. Also high on the list were the twin concerns of drugs and crime. Bermudians also made it clear that, while they recognised the UBP was producing good pie, they wanted to be sure they were getting their piece of that pie.

Some of the voters had even bought into the UBP "Blueprint for the future''.

The "blueprint'' was nothing very new but it made the future Bermuda sound like Utopia and everyone likes Mother and apple pie and Utopia.

Did the UBP respond to what the public wanted? Did we hear any more about blueprints? What did the public get? Independence.

And that was the one major issue never mentioned seriously during the election because everyone recognised the `I' word as voter poison. Even those noisily in favour of Independence stayed quiet during the election because they did not want to hurt their friends in the the Progressive Labour Party.

However, right after the election, a few of the UBP hierarchy started shouting about Independence. It had not been raised by the media. There was no public demand. Why was it raised? HMS Malabar. Malabar was blamed! Poor Malabar but, no matter, the public was amused by that.

Instead of getting action on its legitimate concerns, the post-election public was thrown into a debate on Independence. But the issue terrified the UBP's own stalwarts just as it always has. It split the Cabinet and caused one Minister to quit and a number of others to be very, very uncomfortable. It caused great concern for the general public at a time when the public had other very real concerns. It gave great comfort to the PLP. It caused worry for our customers, the international companies. It created problems no-one needed. It was unnecessary to the point of being incomprehensible.

Why now? Everyone, even Independence supporters, were puzzled. Why in the middle of bases closures? Why when currency control is creating uncertainty? Why during a difficult tourism period? Why at the end of a recession? Why? Why now? There certainly was no great public support.

We are convinced that there was no reason. It was a political blunder, nothing more. A pipe dream gone wrong.

But it was a major blunder and a very stupid move which the UBP has to accept the blame for. Don't shift the blame this way. We didn't do it. You did it.

You upset the Country unnecessarily. You take the blame. Come on. Be big boys, just this once. Say out loud, "We're sorry, folks. The UBP got it wrong.

Independence? What's that?''