Premier Alex Scott last night prepared members of the Bermuda Society for the prospect of an independent Bermuda while the Governor warned that “our little island is not without problems”.

Both Governor Sir John Vereker and Premier Scott addressed a gathering of the Bermuda Society in London last night.

Mr. Scott told the members: “In the case of Bermuda, the discussion of sovereignty is an idea whose time has come.”

He added that it would be “remiss of the Government .. if it did not at least investigate such a possibility.”

“My own view and that of my Party is that the road forward must include a path to Independence,”he said.

The Government believed that Independence was now “within our grasp”and Mr. Scott said discussions on the topic would begin in January with the formation of the Bermuda Independence Committee.

“While it is possible to carry our beloved Country to Independence without the full consensus of the population, I am convinced that it is even more productive to encourage inclusiveness through dialogue and discussion,”he said.

Mr. Scott thanked the Bermuda Society for the part it played in promoting the Island in the UK and said the Island would always maintain a good relationship with it.

Scott pushes Independence

“We ascertain that someday, should our discussions in Bermuda lead to the lowering of one flag and the raising of our own colours, we will be left with a continued relationship with the United Kingdom.

“However, even with that decision, it will be clear that this relationship will have been adjusted from one of Constitutional dependency to one of mutual respect between equals who have respective interests sustained by new protocols and agreements.

He said the Government would not be “foolhardy”in its approach to nationhood.

“In stepping forward on this journey, we must make timely, methodical steps that carry an educated and informed electorate along with us. We must be prepared to answer the question, ëHow will Bermuda present itself on the world stage in order to sustain the life of its people?’This will be our challenge! There is a lot of work to be done; arduous work that can only be successfully completed by committed men and women,”he said.

Mr. Scott said present conditions made the timing ripe for the move to independence. “Guided by the hope of a ëNew Bermuda’, we see emerging a Bermuda of new promise,”he said.

The Premier also explained the Government’s social agenda. The crux of it he said was “to give all Bermudians an opportunity –not a guarantee, but a real opportunity –to build better lives.”

In a speech which preceded the Premier’s, the Governor acknowledged that the days of a Bermuda Governor may soon be over.

Noting that historians were giving the British Empire more credit for its accomplishments than in the past, he said it was for Bermuda to decide which way it wanted to go.

“But you, Hon. Premier, have made it plain that you see no reason to rush debate over that, and anyway you can’t haul down the Union Jack overnight,”he said.

He added: “Whether Bermuda continues as it is, or decides to take measured steps towards its own break with the empire, I am confident that it will continue to flourish. Bermuda will always attract those seeking both business and pleasure, and who are discerning in their search for the best.”

But the Governor also warned that Bermuda is not idyllic.

“Sadly, a prosperous society is not necessarily a law abiding one, nor one in which prosperity is shared by all,”he said.

And he told the Premier that the future of Bermuda “is indeed rosy”if the Government was able to achieve the goal set in the Throne Speech for “..a Bermuda that is not only world renowned as a model for financial success, but also a Bermuda that is renowned for true social harmony”