Black United Bermuda Party MPs yesterday united to demand Government quit playing the race card in politics.

And Opposition Whip Cole Simons said: "When they feel they have exhausted all other tactics, they say `let's resort to racism'.

"But as leaders of this country, we have to move beyond that. There should be reconciliation and we should be role models in a Government for both black and white.'' And he called for all MPs to sign up for Commission for Unity and Racial Equality-style diversity and sensistivity training courses.

Mr. Simons, Patricia Gordon Pamplin and Erwin Adderley joined forces after a row in the House of Assembly over race in medicine.

Transport Minister Ewart Brown -- a doctor -- weighed into the Opposition following a debate the week before on standards in private lab and testing facilities.

Shadow Finance Minister Grant Gibbons said physicians who had in-house labs could be tempted to over-prescribe to boost profits.

But Dr. Brown insisted on Friday that the Opposition was targeting black-owned businesses and claimed standards had never been an issue "when the testing was done by white doctors''. Full debate: Page 2 And Telecommunications Minister Renee Webb accused Shadow Health Minister Kim Young and husband Ward of a virtual monopoly of the prescription drugs market -- a claim later denied by Mr. Young, owner of the Phoenix chain.

Ms Gordon Pamplin said: "As a party we are concerned, but more importantly, as black MPs, when our associates are being attacked, we have to support them.

"The attacks in the House were totally unwarranted and racial -- the PLP has failed miserably in trying to enhance race relations.

"And what was particularly disturbing was, when Dr. Brown was on about reparation and inheritances which should be given back, the Premier sat and nodded in concurrence.

"This can only mean that the new Government's intent is to polarise, divide and conquer. I wonder when we can expect to see legislation to requisition things people have worked very hard for.'' And Ms Gordon Pamplin added: "The Government has shown they have no use or tolerance for whites and Bermuda ought to be deeply concerned.'' Mr. Adderley added: "A debate on standards in healthcare is not a racial issue -- calls for regulation of private labs have been going on since the early 70s, before Dr. Brown came back to Bermuda.

`Race card' criticised other black-owned businesses is fallacious and divisive.

"It's an attempt to divide the population along racial lines on a subject which ought not to be racial at all -- it's simply a call for the same standards for everybody.'' Ms Gordon Pamplin added that Dr. Brown being allowed latitude to discuss a previous debate was "a blatant disregard'' of House rules and should have been ruled out of order by Speaker Stanley Lowe.

Mr. Simons stressed that he had benefitted from the struggles of pioneers who battled to end segregation in racist Bermuda -- and said he empathised with those who continued to tackle racism on the Island.

But he insisted: "We feel that, because Bermuda is multi-racial, the only way to get things achieved is to work within the system.'' Mr. Simons added: "We're not denying our history -- we know it was wrong -- but let's use it as the impetus to improve this country.

"As black people, we feel there are core issues which need addressing, but we're going about it in a different fashion.

"They will go their way, but we say `let's work with others on this'.'' Reconcilliation: Coles Simons DISCRIMINATION DIS HEALTH HTH