For every opponent who can't wait to see the back of Ewart Brown, there's a supporter who would love him to stay.

Hundreds of them were out in force on Saturday night, as Progressive Labour Party members gave their leader an emotional send-off at a glamorous farewell ceremony no Bermuda Premier has ever been granted before.

From the moment Dr. Brown and "First Lady" Wanda Brown made their grand entrance by weaving their way through tables to warm applause from appreciative diners, it was an evening of almost non-stop cheer which may have tempted him to wish he was staying in charge a little longer after all.

True to form for a man over whom opinion has long been divided, little more than half the PLP's MPs were in attendance, with several, including his most vocally critical colleagues, giving the bash a miss.

Those that stayed away were probably glad to avoid the presidential flavour some claim has been synonymous with the Premier's reign and left him out of touch with his party's grassroots.

But there were enough guests at Fairmont Southampton — from all levels of the PLP — to show Dr. Brown's popularity remains as strong in some quarters as when he rode triumphantly into the top job in November 2006.

In fact, as Bootsie the comedian pointed out to the amusement of Dr. Brown himself, the one Brown supporter conspicuous by his absence was Playboy founder Hugh Hefner.

Bootsie wasn't the only person to hint Dr. Brown's eventful tenure hasn't exactly been without its controversies. Amid all the glowing tributes and requests for songs like 'Simply The Best' and 'My Way', it was the Premier who pointed to disagreements over his leadership style and work some argue is left undone.

The overwhelming theme of the night, however, was mutual thanks between Dr. Brown and those who've never lost faith in him.

Mrs. Brown, who shared the spotlight throughout the evening, made a quick statement of her own through a film on a big screen.

She saluted Dr. Brown's accessibility to the public and, in the only reference to the "U" word all night, said she'd never been more proud of her husband than when he brought four Uighurs from Guantánamo Bay to the Island.

Works Minister Derrick Burgess brought light relief at the end of the video when he deadpanned that Mrs. Brown has wasted thousands of dollars on lessons to try in vain to improve her husband's golf.

Out of the four MPs who publicly called for Dr. Brown to step down a year ago, the only one present was a man who's hoping to replace him next month, Terry Lister.

"On a personal level, Dr. Brown and I have always got on well," Mr. Lister told The Royal Gazette.

"I have a lot of time for Dr. Brown. You can have your differences but we must get along.

"You must work to find a way to have some common ground."

Mr. Lister said he was excited and appreciative that the party had raised so much money through the event.

Glen Simmons, the second vice president of Bermuda Industrial Union, said Dr. Brown has been one of the best Premiers Bermuda has ever had but Bermudians often find transition difficult.

"In the last four years he's taken us in a direction we never had before," said Mr. Simmons.

Calworth Furbert, father of PLP MP Wayne Furbert, described Dr. Brown as a long-time friend of the family and said: "This is the best send-off for any Premier we've ever had. I think he'll be knighted.

"He's a man who knows his direction. I think the Country's much better off with him than any Premier we have ever had.

"He made a decision, and when he made a decision, he made a decision."

Asked what he thought while Dr. Brown was locking horns with his son during his United Bermuda Party days, the father replied: "He was still a friend. He's always been a friend."

Energy Minister Michael Scott said: "Dr. Brown is a strong leader, committed to, in his words, ploughing the soil for this Country.

"History will treat his strong leadership very kindly because of the progress we have made in a very short period of time."

M.C. Rock Newman said: "I suspect that many years from now Dr. Brown will be talked about with reverence for the spirited way that he tried to advance this Country.

"I think he is not nearly as appreciated now as he will be shortly after he's gone."

Explaining why he thinks many people are not so appreciative of the Premier today, Mr. Newman continued: "I think that the Country is still growing and maturing.

"People who had power — political and financial — for centuries are still slow to accept that another party and another people are now with political control."

Asked why some in the PLP don't like Dr. Brown, he responded: "I think the PLP, to its credit, is not monolithic. They have spirited debate.

"It's to be expected that anyone who leads in the way Dr. Brown has led will inevitably draw criticism, but I think that history will judge his contributions to have been very good for the Country."

Lawyer Larry Scott said: "Dr. Brown's changed the focus of the party. It has a fresh look, it's not as sedate as it was, and he's brought an international feel to it."

Referring to American entertainers and supporters at the gala, he went on: "We are not just running a party by ourselves. People will come and support us in Bermuda from all over the world. Both the young and old, black and white, feel comfortable in the party now."