Craig Cannonier entered the political arena in 2009 as a candidate for the short-lived Bermuda Democratic Alliance.

He was appointed a senator in May 2011 when members of the BDA and the United Bermuda Party joined forces to form the One Bermuda Alliance.

Mr Cannonier announced in September that he would run against Bob Richards for the leadership of the new party.

He said he had formed a joint ticket with Michael Dunkley, a former leader of the UBP, who threw his hat into the ring for the position of deputy leader.

He won the election when he defeated Mr Richards by 344 votes to 330.

Mr Cannonier won a by-election in Devonshire South Central two months later after John Barritt, who had acted as interim leader of the OBA, retired from politics.

Mr Cannonier scored an even bigger election victory in December 2012 when the OBA defeated the Progressive Labour Party in the General Election, but only by a slim margin. His premiership was threatened less than a year later after reports that he had accepted a flight on a private jet from an American potential hotel and casino developer.

Mr Cannonier maintained he had done nothing wrong, but the “Jetgate” controversy dogged him until May 2014, when he stepped down as Premier after just 17 months in office.

Mr Dunkley, then deputy premier, was sworn in as leader of the country the next morning.

Mr Cannonier returned to the Cabinet in January 2015 as the Minister of Public Works. He held the job until the General Election last summer, when the PLP defeated the OBA in a landslide victory.

Mr Cannonier held on to his seat in the House of Assembly and briefly held the public works portfolio before stepping down from the Shadow Cabinet.