A “thunderstorm” hangs over the House of Assembly as Opposition leader Marc Bean continues to delay a motion of censure against Speaker of the House Randy Horton.

Mr Bean told this newspaper he had every intention of carrying through with the motion against his Progressive Labour Party colleague — but says it has been on hold due to a combination of political tactics and advice from within his party.

On May 15, the day he was temporarily suspended from the House himself, Mr Bean warned: “Next week will be the last week that Randy Horton will be a Member of Parliament in this House.”

Asked for an update on his motion yesterday, Mr Bean told The Royal Gazette: “The motion will be carried out at the will and pleasure of myself and the mover of the motion, [Shadow Attorney-General] Michael Scott.

“We will decide when to bring it, when we feel it is the appropriate time. As the leader of my party, I was emotional at the time because I was illegally censured. If anyone violated your rights, wouldn’t you be a little angry?

“I am human and showed a little emotion and I had plans to bring the motion that week but, on further reflection and advice, we decided we could hold it a little longer because there is still information that is out there and forthcoming, and so we will be patient.

“You can sum it up as political tactics — the same way they [the OBA] used tactics to censure me on a bogus charge — these are tactics, too.

“I wont explain the purpose of our tactics but my thinking hasn’t changed. It could come this Friday, it could come next week or it could come in three weeks.”

Mr Horton, an MP since 1998, upset many within his party by accepting the Speaker role shortly after the One Bermuda Alliance won the 2012 general election: a move which effectively costs the PLP a vote in the House.

Suggesting Premier Michael Dunkley is anxious about the potential ramifications if Mr Horton can no longer continue as Speaker, Mr Bean said: “Why is the Premier so concerned about the motion?

“He keeps raising it in the House. That is the gist of the matter.

“Do you think it is the OBA’s interest for him to be kept in? That should be the focus. There should be a cloud hanging over the House — there is a thunderstorm hanging over it.”

Last month’s motion of censure against Mr Bean was brought by OBA MP Mark Pettingill after the PLP leader was accused of “verbally threatening” Government MPs when telling them: “I’m going to take you out”.

During a heated session, Mr Bean defended his words putting them in a political context.

Mr Bean’s motion against Mr Horton, brought to the House in March, claims that the Speaker breached parliamentary procedure by “bringing democracy of these Islands of Bermuda and its Parliament into disrepute by suppressing debate”. This, Mr Bean argues, was due to the Speaker refusing to hear a point of order and a point of privilege by the Shadow Finance Minister, David Burt. Asked yesterday whether there was a split within his party over the censure motion against Mr Horton, Mr Bean replied: “I can’t speak for individuals — no one has expressed any disagreement.”

Asked whether everyone in his party agreed with it, Mr Bean said: “Not everyone in the PLP but any objective, non-biased individual — anyone who has any semblance of knowledge of Parliamentary procedure.”