Patricia Gordon-Pamplin, sworn in yesterday as the Leader of the Opposition, also announced her Shadow Cabinet and a Senate team from which Michael Fahy was notably absent.

Mr Fahy, whose immigration policies were widely perceived as a liability when the One Bermuda Alliance held the Government, will be “supportive going forward, but elected not to take any frontline positions”, Ms Gordon-Pamplin told The Royal Gazette, adding: “The party moves on.”

In a candid and conciliatory speech after she was sworn in by John Rankin, the Governor, Ms Gordon-Pamplin vowed to lead a loyal Opposition.

“Today we applaud the Government; we applaud them for their victory, and we assure them of our continued support for those policies and programmes they put forward that we deem to be done for the better good of all of Bermuda.”

Acknowledging those who had felt neglected by the OBA during its tenure, Ms Gordon-Pamplin said: “It is apparent that as a party and an administration, we disappointed some people.

“For that disappointment, we take full responsibility. We apologise to those who we hurt or who felt left out of our policies. But it is important that you know that it was always our intent to give our very best effort.”

She added: “We can be proud as the outgoing administration that we have accomplished just that.”

The Opposition leader recalled the opening stanza from a poem, author unknown, that had hung on her childhood living room wall, starting with the lines: “The test of a man is the fight that he makes, the grit that he daily shows; the way he stands upon his feet, and takes life’s numerous bumps and blows.”

Ms Gordon-Pamplin briefly served as Opposition leader after the United Bermuda Party’s defeat in the 2007 election, in which Michael Dunkley lost his seat — but she said it had been only a few weeks before Kim Swan took over as the party’s leader.

“Once we became the OBA, the focus was certainly different,” she told this newspaper.

“Up until 2012, I had never served in a governing party. So this is different — we were in the Government and have now been trounced out and transitioned to the Opposition. We served the people of Bermuda in terms of keeping the ship afloat. We brought the country back from the brink of financial disaster, and are very proud of that. You can’t necessarily satisfy the demands people make when you have to put in place the things we were required to do to stop the bleeding.”

The OBA’s lesson going forward was “obviously, listening more intently”, she said.

“It’s a lot easier to do as Opposition. We inherited an empty coffer.

“Now we believe we have left the Government in a far better financial position than they left us. It remains to be seen how we move forward.”

Ms Gordon-Pamplin declared her shadow cabinet for the upcoming legislative session as follows:

• Sylvan Richards — deputy Opposition leader, planning and environment;

• Trevor Moniz — legal affairs;

• Leah Scott — tourism and transport;

• Craig Cannonier — works and infrastructure;

• Jeanne Atherden — finance;

• Jeff Baron — national security;

• Grant Gibbons — economic development;

• Susan Jackson — health and seniors, Opposition whip;

• Cole Simons — education; and

• Ben Smith — sport and youth development

Ms Gordon-Pamplin appointed Nandi Outerbridge, Nick Kempe and Andrew Simons to the Senate. Ms Outerbridge, former MP for St George’s West, is the new Opposition leader in the Senate, and will focus on social development, with Mr Kempe taking on labour and training and Mr Simons, technology.