Anti-Ewart Brown rally organiser Janice Battersbee yesterday revealed she had turned down an invitation to join the new third party formed by United Bermuda Party defectors.

Mrs. Battersbee, a lifelong Progressive Labour Party supporter, said her own group, The Bermudians, wanted to remain as a watchdog for good governance from all sides. And she said The Bermudians' aim at the moment was to focus on a change of leadership in Government.

However, she said she was hopeful MPs Shawn Crockwell, Donte Hunt and Mark Pettingill's break from the UBP was reflective of a brighter future for politics in Bermuda.

Meanwhile Darius Tucker, who quit the UBP in the aftermath of the failed motion of no confidence in the Premier and now sits as an independent MP, described his former colleagues' resignations as a step in the right direction. Mr. Tucker said he would wait to see more details before deciding whether he wanted to join them; but it is understood fellow independent MP Wayne Furbert, who quit the UBP last year, will not be jumping on the bandwagon.

Mrs. Battersbee told The Royal Gazette yesterday: "We, The Bermudians, have been very encouraged by the shift in the political atmosphere since June this year. Could this most recent activity be another link in the chain reaction of change?

"Change must happen on both sides of the political fence. We have lived, for far too long, fighting against one another, party against party, without self-reflection and it is time to say, again, enough is enough. We must move forward for the good of the Country and not for a select few.

"We have seen PLP MPs stand up for what they believe in and act on the people's behalf and we would hope that this is the motivation behind the breaking away of those in the UBP camp. We have been asked about joining this group and at this time, we choose to remain neutral. We have made our stand on integrity and good governance clear and will remain the proverbial watchdog as promised and continue to speak out when wrong is being done — regardless of who or what it might be.

"We will support any party or Government that stands for, and exercises, good governance, integrity, accountability, transparency and respect. Time will tell, if this new group will provide these qualities that we expected and voted in hopes for at the last General Election.

"We continue to focus on the matter at hand, which is the change of the current leadership of our Government."

Mr. Tucker said of the defectors: "I wish them every success, without a doubt. It's just a step in the right direction in terms of Bermuda going forward and getting rid of the divisive politics that exist. It's just a good thing. It's a step in the right direction as the Country matures and goes forward.

"As I have said before, the United Bermuda Party has served the Country well, they have brought the Country this far, but the Country does not want a white Government. That's just the way the Country is right now. They don't want a white Government so the United Bermuda Party can't be Government any more. People interested in politics need to make themselves viable to serve."

Regarding calls for reform in the UBP, Mr. Tucker said: "Definitely the United Bermuda Party does need to make change but they won't make change fast enough that they could make themselves viable. When you want to make a difference and if you want to be the Government, then those things have to come about and unfortunately the UBP just was not committed to making change as rapidly as it needed to, to be a viable party.

"The Country doesn't want the United Bermuda Party to be the Government. The reports that the UBP has commissioned has told them that. They have paid money for reports but they are not listening to the reports. They haven't even given it a good opportunity to reshape and rebrand and give it one good shot because they didn't get committed to change."

Asked if he would join the group, he replied: "I would certainly have to wait and see how the new party, how it's formed... I'm just prepared to sit as an independent and serve my constituents, as I told them I would.

"No one has approached me and I haven't approached them. I'll just have to wait and see. "I just think it's a good thing that someone is going to go and start another party so that the electorate would have the opportunity to vote for an entity that has the potential to be Government. That's a really good thing."