Former Somerset Cricket Club captain Randolph Horton is well known to many of the people in District 32, if not for his sporting prowess then for his role in Government during the last two years as a Minister.

“I'm going back home,” he said yesterday, clearly happy with the idea that canvassing Southampton West allows him to revel in his intricate network of friends and relatives, especially in northern sliver of the constituency that crosses into Sandys Parish, the stomping ground of his youth.

The former principal of Warwick Secondary School, Mr. Horton was first elected to the House of Assembly in 1998 in the old constituency of Hamilton West, where he trounced his closest opponent by more than 250 votes.

Given that he has been Minister for Community Affairs and Sport since 2001, Mr. Horton's placement in the area should be seen as an indication that the party expects to win the seat.

The father of two, who was educated at Northlands and the Berkeley Institute, said his main focus, after listening to the concerns of constituents, would be to empower the Island's youth through a Governmental effort to more efficiently coordinate the many young person's groups, such as the Boy Scouts and sporting clubs.

“The PLP is certainly reaching out to young people,” he said. “The well being of this country is dependent on the condition that we nurture them and we are also looking at ways of having parents appreciate more the responsibility they have.”

As for his canvassing, Mr. Horton said: “It's been most rewarding and flattering because so many people that I see say, ‘It's so good to have you back in the area'.”

On the PLP's five year record, he pointed to the introduction of fast ferry stop at Rockaway as the main Government success in the area, and he added: “I think we've done very well. We've not done it all but for a party to come in for the first time after 30 years in the political wilderness, we've done a magnificent job.

He said Government's most significant achievements had been the introduction of the recent electoral changes and also the passing of the Consumer Protection Act and the introduction of the Commission For Unity and Racial Equality (CURE) regulations.

The man who will put forward the United Bermuda Party's case in Southampton West on July 24 is a karate expert and construction manager who would like to see politicians spend more time listening and thinking about actions before launching into them.

Having arrived in Bermuda at the age of 11 from the Caribbean island of St. Kitts, Al Wharton is from political family - his father was deputy speaker of the House of Parliament in his birthplace.

Now, at the age of 54, the married father of three hopes to enter parliamentary politics because “I see Bermuda heading in downward spiral and I think it is important to get involved. I'm a good person and I'm very passionate about doing something to help”.

Mr. Wharton, who has lived at Riviera Road, Southampton for 16 years, said his months of canvassing revealed voters are largely concerned with the social questions of inspiring the Island's youth to use their time productively and the related problem of crime.

On a practical level, Mr. Wharton has found that voters are primarily worried about finding affordable housing, especially for seniors.

The way to tackle them, he says, is to approach them on a “wholistic” basis.

“There is no simple solution to the problems that have been created and have allowed to continue for many years. We can't solve every problem as an entity unto itself because issues, such as housing, education and drugs intertwine,” he said.

On the perceived problem of youth disaffection, he said: “Not all the people that hang about at certain locations are criminals. Quite a few are good people who are just looking for direction and a sense of involvement.”

But he said: “In general we need more youth activities. We need for everyone to feel they are part of and have some contribution to society. We've got to educate and empower them to let them know that they have a role to play and you do that first and foremost through education, from parents, from schools and from adults in general.”