party has always wanted autonomy from Britain but it boycotted 1995's doomed Independence referendum put forward by then UBP Premier John Swan. But Telecommunications Minister Renee Webb believes the next election may be fought on the issue. Today Matthew Taylor talks to Opposition MP Trevor Moniz who is against the idea.

Opposition MP Trevor Moniz fears independence could see Bermuda turning into a corrupt one-party state.

And he said full autonomy could see money squandered on wasteful gestures as Bermuda sought a place on the world stage.

He said: "You go down south and you have small Parliaments with 14 people, all one party, 11 of them are in the cabinet. There's no British Governor, or Foreign Office to overlook them.

"The PLP is nationalistic, they don't believe in the trappings of British imperialism. They believe in the trappings of nationalistic fervour.

"All you are going to do is to replace British claptrap with a bunch of nationalistic claptrap. You go to some African countries and you see these huge buildings.

"You have all these poverty stricken tiny African and Caribbean countries who have representatives in the UN and New York and Switzerland -- all leeches living off their countries, riding around in limousines.

"It's a disaster for a small country to imagine it's going to take its place on the world stage, it's total rubbish. We have no place on the world stage.

We are too small.

"I would prefer to get rid of claptrap altogether and have a free and just democratic society -- where nobody has such a degree of power they don't feel accountable to the public. I see no reason for independence. Bermuda is one of the wealthiest countries in the world because we offer stability...because at the end of the day you have the ultimate appeal to the Privy Council and British Government.

"If it ain't broke don't fix it and it definitely ain't broke.

"Why does the PLP want independence? Because it aggrandises their power.

"Countries in the Caribbean have a disastrous history. If you look at Bahamas, the political corruption there. I am no fan of Pindling -- he was terrible for the Bahamas and set them back 30 years. Bird was terrible for Antigua, he was corrupt. It's still corrupt. It's ruled by his son. There is shooting down there, Government ministers getting killed, drug-dealing, one son fighting the other son.

"When you look at the places which have done well, Jersey, Guernsey, you look at why -- they offer stability.

Warning over ethnic tensions "If you can find an independent small island which has produced more economic well-being than we have I would be very interested to hear.'' And Mr. Moniz said independence would do nothing to cool ethnic tensions but could stoke the fire further.

He said: "We have these ethnic divisions but independence will do nothing for that. In fact, it will exacerbate it, if you look at countries which have ethnic problems and have suddenly leapt to independence, you tell me if everything has suddenly become nice and calm or whether people have seen it as an opportunity for revenge and vindictiveness? "People have this idea in their mind that independence will produce peace and prosperity, we already have that.

"They take the view that it will right all the wrongs. But in itself independence will do nothing. People talk in euphemisms. People say if we go independent we will get a better Bermuda. To your average guy in the street it means better for him.

"You are either holding out false hope or you are somehow going to give to them by taking from somebody else.

"The PLP is now in political difficulty in that a lot of their supporters do not see themselves as having gained.

"So the PLP either have to give something to these people or make a bigger promise to cover up the promise they didn't keep.''