some surprises. It is abundantly clear that Kim Young did extremely well in Paget East despite an unpredictable third party candidate and an attractive and professional Progressive Labour Party candidate.

We had thought that the PLP's Craig Walls might do relatively well as the PLP's sacrificial lamb in the UBP stronghold. The fact that he took only one vote more than the UBP rebel Sanders Frith Brown and one less vote than the PLP's Rolfe Commissiong in the 1994 be-election must have come as something of a shock to the PLP. It seemed clear that the PLP had sought a professional and non-controversial candidate for Paget East hoping to increase their share of the vote, especially given the recent turmoil in the UBP. It was not to be.

Mr. Frith Brown, who has been a noisy gadfly in Bermudian politics for some years now, must finally realise that his brand of conservatism has little appeal to the voters, even in conservative Paget East.

The picture in Devonshire is more complex. Michael Dunkley did very well when he took 68.8 percent of the vote which is just slightly more than the combined percentages of David Saul and John Barritt in the 1993 general election. It must be remembered that in a by-election voters have one vote while at a general election they mark their ballots twice.

On the other hand, given the single vote, the Progressive Labour Party's Danny Farias raised his percentage from 16.3 percent in 1993 to 22.2 percent, an increase of almost six percent. The PLP has taken that as a good sign, although its overall share of the vote fell from 32.5 percent to 22.2 percent.

He did well for a man who joined the PLP out of bitterness and ran on the joke platform that he is an environmentalist.

The voter turn-out was low so it is difficult to tell whether his vote represents a swing or that it simply reflects a better PLP turnout than the UBP achieved. By-elections, especially in safe seats, seldom produce high voter numbers.

Charles Jeffers of the National Liberal Party took only 106 votes or nine percent of the poll. Mr. Jeffers is the leader of his party and their most winning candidate now that Gilbert Darrell has retired. He is a professional and a former PLP candidate. He staked his party's future on a good showing in Devonshire South and it was not to be. Before the election he said he needed 25 percent of the vote for the NLP to retain credibility. Nine percent is a long way from 25. The message is clear. If Charles Jeffers cannot do better than nine percent of a poll then his party has little or no future. The NLP's problem seems to rest with its message which is warm but fuzzy.

Aside from the UBP's successes, this campaign may have done Bermuda two favours. The NLP, which has no real place and very little hope of ever again electing a candidate, may leave the scene. Secondly, the people may now be spared the chaotic intrusions of Sanders Frith Brown.