Government backbencher Neletha Butterfield told the House that the Uighurs controversy had given her one of the most difficult times of her political career.

She said her constituents, including young disaffected men who felt the Island was doing little to help them, were demanding to know why the decision was taken to let the men come here.

"I'm going to have a rough time explaining a lot of things to them," she said, adding that one young man had told her she was alright because she was "not in the crowd that had made that decision".

The former Minister said: "That's the pulse of the neighbourhood. It's put us all in a very bad position."

Ms Butterfield said sometimes decisions affected everybody and that sometimes apologising was the right thing to do. She added that there were "too many in our country that have pain, that are angry and that are hurting".

"Sometimes when you make decisions in life you actually cause people to try to work it out and it's not working out as much as we like," she said.

The PLP MP said she hoped she never got to a point where voters were chanting for her to go. "If it ever happens to me, I'm gone," she said. "Something has to be wrong." She said when so many people were protesting "we have to stop and listen".

Ms Butterfield said of the Uighurs controversy: "This has been a huge pill to swallow. Everybody has a different question and you have got to find an answer. It's been reflected on the street. It's been reflected in our young people.

"As the young people are being disruptive, they are looking at us. When they ask me what's going on, I have to try my best to see what I can answer them with."

She told MPs: "The honourable Premier did rise this morning and said he had regrets. Regrets can turn into an apology. I strongly believe it.

"Not just the Cabinet Ministers deserve it, not just the backbenchers deserve it, but the people of Bermuda deserve an apology."

Ms Butterfield added: "The honourable Premier needs to remember that we in this honourable House were all elected to serve and represent our people."

The backbencher said the Uighurs decision could cause people to lose confidence in the Government. "Some good may come out of this but in the meantime I think an apology to this country would be good so that we can move on."

Former Premier Dame Jennifer Smith told MPs that only the Premier knew why he took the decision he did. "Only he can describe his thought processes. It's quite possible that he actually didn't think about consulting Britain."

She said she would like some assurance or acknowledgement of the need to follow rules and respect the Constitution.

"I don't need that for me," said the Deputy Speaker. "There are many, many young people in this Island who admire and emulate the Premier and I really, really do not want another generation to grow up and think that the end justifies the means."

She added: "People do judge you by your actions. You don't have to be perfect but when you do make a mistake you do have to say to those watching you and who model themselves on you: 'it was wrong when I did that'."

Dame Jennifer said she could not trust that the motion was not an attempt to sack the Government so could not vote for it. "I have every confidence in the Government and people of this country," she concluded.

Environment Minister Glenn Blakeney said there had been flaws and mistakes in the way the Uighurs situation was handled and that such errors could be critical "because we don't yet know how it's going to play out".

But he said he would not support any motion against the Government. Mr. Blakeney said two individuals had taken a political risk. "For what? Why?" he asked.

He said that though proper protocol had not been followed it was because the Premier took a tough stance on the things he believed in.