Shawn Crockwell is resigning from the One Bermuda Alliance to become an independent MP, according to sources close to the party.

The Royal Gazette understands that Mr Crockwell intends to announce his resignation in today’s sitting of Parliament.

The Southampton West Central MP has grown increasingly discontented with the OBA, but is said to have reached his limit after a raid on his house this week by immigration officers over an alleged illegal worker hired as a cleaner.

The OBA’s handling of same-sex marriage, which Mr Crockwell supported, also fuelled his alienation from the party leadership.

Mr Crockwell’s loss from the OBA ranks would strike a blow to the ruling party’s tenuous majority in the House of Assembly — cutting its numbers to 18, against the Progressive Labour Party’s membership of 17.

Although the PLP loses one vote to Randy Horton’s position as Speaker of the House, the OBA’s lead would be

further thinned during debates in committee, when Suzann Roberts-Holshouser takes her seat as the Deputy Speaker.

Mr Crockwell made his feelings plain in March, when he resigned as Minister of Tourism Development and Transport to a backdrop of demonstrations and industrial action.

Citing “the inability of the Government to listen and to appropriately gauge the temperature of the community”, Mr Crockwell called the OBA out of touch with black Bermudians in particular, and faulted the leadership of Michael Dunkley.

On that occasion Mr Crockwell ruled out leaving the party, saying that “if the OBA starts to lose numbers then you have an unstable government”.

However, according to sources close to the OBA, Mr Crockwell has since become further disaffected, and planned to declare himself an independent MP today in the House.

A sense of disenfranchisement has appeared especially strong among black MPs within the OBA, as shown by an internal e-mail that entered the public domain in February after the OBA’s defeat in the Devonshire North Central by-election.

It is understood that Mr Crockwell still feels the party is out of touch with the community and lacks strong and decisive leadership, but alleged personal attacks from within the OBA may have proved a tipping point in his decision.

Contacted last night by The Royal Gazette, Mr Crockwell declined to comment.