Deputy Premier Ewart Brown resigned from the Cabinet yesterday to fight for the leadership of his party and country in a contest many insiders are saying is too close to call.

Premier Alex Scott reacted quickly by handing Works and Engineering and Housing Minister David Burch the Tourism brief.

And one Cabinet member told that the appointment of Walter Lister to the Transport brief could tip the leadership election in the Premier's favour by delivering the support of Terry and Dennis Lister and the bulk of the Sandys delegates.

Dr. Brown, who stepped down as Deputy Premier as well as Tourism and Transport Minister, told the press his leadership would take Bermuda to the next level.

Steering clear of specific issues, he promised to reveal his platform in the coming days, ahead of the vote on October 27.

He told key topics included: "Meaningful employment for Bermudians and ways to decrease the pain and strain for Bermudians who sometimes have to work too hard to keep their heads above water".

Dr. Brown failed to clinch the leadership he has long hankered for in 2003 after Premier Dame Jennifer Smith was forced to stand down hours after winning the party a second term.

Instead Alex Scott was appointed as a compromise candidate.

This time Dr. Brown believes his chances are better.

He said: "I read your polls and I listen to the feedback from the street and I believe Bermudians have come to the conclusion that although some of my ideas might seem radical in the beginning, if given time and room to breathe they make a better Bermuda."

However, he also revealed if elected he didn't see himself staying for ten years.

He told : "I really doubt it. I am not going to be locked into that but I will tell you much of what I would like to see achieved can be achieved within five years.

"It means hard work and some feathers being ruffled but the country deserves no less."

Asked if he would bring the Independence issue to a head, he said: "I have an interesting approach to that, that I am not ready to reveal today but I think my approach would be welcomed by most Bermudians."

Listing his achievements, he said he had increased tourist numbers and spending, improved efficiency at TCD, reduced airfares while bringing new routes and brought in five fast ferries and computerised taxi dispatching.

He said: "I want to bring the same ? if not more ? vision, strength, energy and resolve to get things done that I brought to the Tourism and Transport ministries to the leadership of the Progressive Labour Party, and ultimately, to the leadership of Bermuda."

He said he had been testing the waters all the time about his prospects.

Flanked by his wife Wanda at yesterday's press conference in the House of Assembly library, he said: "This is not a position to engage in ceremonial exercises. This is about work. There is a job that has to be done, let's get it done.

"I feel as if my abilities and my energy are beyond my current portfolios of Tourism and Transport. I believe I can serve Bermuda better and more productively as your leader." Explaining why he had changed his mind after promising not to run this year, he said: "Months have passed and after innumerable requests from many, consultation with persons inside and outside of the party, careful reflection on my own and with my family, I have had a change of heart ? not a change of mind.

"The question has always been when I would seek the leadership ? not whether I would seek the leadership. And I believe that time is now.

"Why am I resigning from Cabinet and ultimately politics should I not win the leadership?

"Because I believe it would be in the best interests of my immediate family and the Progressive Labour Party itself for me to move out of the way and let others get on with their vision.

"I believe the PLP has lived with the prospect of my leadership long enough, and, that after a decision is made in the impending weeks, it would be best for all concerned if the party did not have to face that same decision again."

Dr. Brown said if defeated he would return to the back-benches and retire at the next election.

He said the Premier's reaction had been extremely cordial when he handed in his resignation and he pledged not to make the campaign personal.

"Alex Scott and I have worked well together. He entrusted the Transport and Tourism portfolio to me.

"He allowed me the room and flexibility to perform and I am not going to make him the object of any attacks during this campaign."

Premier Scott indicated he had known of Dr. Brown's intentions well before yesterday's announcement and said the pair had even had a "laugh and a giggle" together when they met to part ways.

Backbench Government MP George Scott is backing Dr. Brown and said the announcement had sparked excitement in the community.

He said: "I am a progressive person. He's progressive. Look at his performance in Tourism and Transport. That's the basis of the excitement, people are looking for more out of him."

He said colleagues at the Bermuda Industrial Union were also excited by the news.

Asked if Dr. Brown was pro-labour, Mr. Scott said: "Labour has to progress also."

Fellow backbencher Glenn Blakeney said Dr. Brown had done the honourable thing by resigning Cabinet to launch his leadership bid.

"He's a man who takes risks in the interest of whatever he sets himself. He's a results-driven individual and so far he's delivered." Ask who would win, Mr. Blakeney said: "It will be a relatively tough call."

Asked who he would vote for, Mr. Blakeney declined to commit and said there was still a chance other candidates would come forward. "If it was Paula Cox, I would not be disappointed. She is eminently qualified."

Others in the party are longing for Finance Minister Cox to put her name forward while Dr. Brown indicated he expected others would run. However, Ms Cox has so far ducked press inquiries about her intentions.

One MP, who wished not to be named, said: "I would love for Paula to step up to the plate. She's a much stronger, galvanising force. "She's very, very humble but has an understanding of politics. She comes over well not just in the party but in the country."

More than 100 delegates from party branches will vote on the leadership ? as will the party's 21 MPs and six senators.

One MP in the Brown camp said: "I think he stands a good chance but it will be a close race. It's a battle between the old guard and the new guard."

The backbencher said the votes were likely to be even between both MPs and delegates.

He said: "I think Brown has the western parishes, the middle parishes are probably split."

Delegates are not mandated by their branch to vote any particular way ? nor can their MPs tell them what to do, although they will try to influence them.

"Some delegates will have their minds made up ? others will decide on the day. It's 50/50. It will be tight."

However one senior party figure said he was confident the Premier had the majority of the delegates and would see off the Dr. Brown challenge.

Another MP, who backed Jennifer Smith last time around, agreed it could be tight although he said St. George's which has the highest concentration of delegates, is likely to stay loyal to the Premier.

The backbencher said Paula Cox would defeat Brown with many delegates nursing a grudge over the way the Brown camp ousted Dame Jennifer.

Ms Cox's humble style could also appeal to those who dislike Dr. Brown's naked ambition, making a late run launched from the floor of the delegates' conference an enticing possibility.

"As we speak, I am sure there are people encouraging her to run," said the MP.

The MP also said Dr. Brown's 'back me or sack me' ultimatum wouldn't go down well with Bermudians.

"The last person who did that was Sir John Swan who said Independence or I am out of here. He's been gone ever since.

"Generally the attitude will be go the f**k home then. People come and people go."

The MP also said party members feared the constant leadership issue would confuse voters and lead to people viewing the party as being split. "Two terms and three leaders? It might seem an indicator we are not together."

Former PLP Senator Calvin Smith, who is a delegate for Pembroke Southwest at the forthcoming conference, said he has switched from supporting the Premier to backing Dr. Brown.

He said: "He will lead us to full participation in the global economy with full participation of all Bermudians and by that I mean in leadership positions.

"He is ideally positioned to do that because he grew up in the US where they have had programmes that have elevated black Americans.

"Mr. Scott has not done it. I have been a long time colleague of Mr. Scott, but I have to face reality. He inherited all of the PLP's warts and bumps and he was in a very difficult position because the party was split down the middle. If you have to pull people together, how can you go forward?

"Ewart would know how to do it and more importantly he has unique strong connections with the black elite in the US, who are getting better placed all the time.

"He is not afraid to try things and will admit it when they did not work. I don't think there's a risk in splitting the party if Ewart Brown got elected. He would give them all jobs to do and he doesn't care if he likes you or not, as long as you go along with his programme."

Last night Opposition leader Wayne Furbert said: "It is important at this moment of political upheaval that Bermuda comes first, always. In that regard, I hope that members of the Progressive Labour Party Government make sure that they do not lose sight of the fact that they are there to serve the people and the country, not to fight amongst themselves."