A former leader of the Progressive Labour Party called yesterday for a palace coup by MPs to topple the Premier in a protest over Covid-19 restrictions.

Marc Bean, now the leader of the Free Democratic Movement, said action had to be take to remove a “despotic” David Burt.

He added that Mr Burt had “orchestrated” the December 2016 demonstration at the House of Assembly for his political gain.

Mr Bean, speaking in a YouTube interview with Omar James, of the fledgeling People’s Group Bermuda, said: “We have a so-called public health issue being used as a pretext for removing the fundamental freedoms we find in our Constitution and every other civil society.”

He called for a “catalyst for pressure” so that “Members of Parliament and leadership of this country recognise that people are not satisfied …”

Mr Bean said: “We have 36 Members of Parliament – the Premier serves at the will and pleasure of that 36”

He added that “19 Members of Parliament have the power to change who is the Premier”.

Mr Bean said a group should form, irrespective of party, and tell the Governor that Mr Burt no longer commanded the confidence of the House.

He added the Governor would be bound to ask if there was anyone who could command the confidence of MPs and form a government.

Mr Bean said: “This current government and this current Premier is a master of protest.

“He actually rode into leadership within the PLP and within the Government through carefully calculated protest.

“One example is the pepper-spray incident on December 2 – many people would think that the pepper-spray incident was something that emanated from either the British Government or the One Bermuda Alliance government.

“That’s not true. I’m going to let everyone know that the pepper-spray incident is something that was coordinated and orchestrated by none other than the current premier, David Burt.

“That’s an example of the sleight of hand that you will see in the PLP and what you are experiencing right now. What you see is not what you get.

“You have to be very much aware that you have leadership that is willing to deceive you by any means necessary in order to accomplish their aims and objectives.”

Mr Bean alleged that the media was working with politicians, the business world and the UK to cause disruption to people’s lives and the economy as part of global agenda.

Mr Bean said: “It’s co-operation and coordination on their part with the government of the day, with Government House and with other institutions, in particular international business because these are the main groups that are advocating the status quo narrative of get vaccinated and basically bow down to the dictates of a group that want their desires to be implemented against the wishes of others.”

Mr Bean, who was succeeded as PLP leader by Mr Burt after he suffered a serious illness, claimed that the Premier was part of a world plan – but declined to say why.

He alleged: “The people that he is serving are not Bermudian – some might be, but David Burt, like the majority of leaders in the world today, are serving a global entity.”

He asked Mr Burt “what is the reason for destroying the private sector in Bermuda using Covid as the rationale for doing so?”

Mr Bean added: “At this point in time, when we are faced with a despotic leader, it’s incumbent to focus on the removal of that leader and then allowing the democratic process to come to the fore to determine who then can replace that person.”

He appealed to the public to petition their MPs to help remove Mr Burt as Premier.

Mr Bean added that people could force by-elections and ask their “MPs to remove themselves” if they did not agree to act.

He said: “Bermuda is too small to be turned into a one-party dictatorial state and we continue down this path at our peril.”

A spokesman for the PLP said: ““The Progressive Labour Party is a serious organisation focused on the serious work of governing.

“We are in the midst of a global pandemic. People are dying in the hospital. People are unemployed and struggling to survive.

“We are focused on putting money in the pockets of the unemployed, protecting Bermudians from hospitalisation and death and safely reopening our economy to get Bermudians back to work and our children safely back to school.“

The spokesman added: “We will not be deterred from this mission by internet conspiracy theorists that question the international and local scientific consensus that masks and vaccines work.

“This isn’t a cause for political opportunists, as there is much at stake in our collective recovery.”

The Government did not respond to a request for comment by press time.