Former Education Minister Randy Horton last night challenged Premier Ewart Brown to put his popularity to a vote of MPs.

Mr. Horton is one of a number of PLP insiders who say the Premier, at last week's caucus meeting, had promised to go if a dozen of the 22 Progressive Labour Party MPs called for his head.

At that point a delegates' conference could then decide the party's next leader, said Mr. Horton who ruled himself out of the running but tipped Deputy Premier Paula Cox or Energy Minister Terry Lister as the next Premier if Dr. Brown loses.

He said: "The Premier has said 'if you find 12 MPs that say they don't support me then I will resign'. We will hold him to that.

"I would challenge him and say, if that's the case, we should have a vote. If Dr. Brown wins the vote, then fine, he should continue."

But Mr. Horton said it would have to be a secret ballot of just MPs and not Senators, otherwise the Premier would be bound to win on the payroll vote, backed by those who owed their positions in Senate or Cabinet to him.

He said the precedent was already set with a 2002 vote in the PLP caucus which was tied nine to nine and saw Jennifer Smith cling to power.

"We are not saying we want to select who the leader is, but is clear the Premier must command the majority of the House of Assembly, if he didn't have the command of 12 of our people he should resign."

Mr. Horton predicted a close vote if the MPs are allowed to follow their conscience. "We have a lot more than three people, it's just three people have spoken up so far."

But Mr. Horton would not spell out why Dr. Brown, who had been backed by both himself and Wayne Perinchief, had now fallen out of favour.

"We will not air the dirty linen in public. In the caucus we will indicate the specifics. However the people of Bermuda have expressed much concern about the leadership.

"But the Premier is a fighter, he has his people calling around."

Sources close to the rebel MPs have cited a number of concerns about Dr. Brown's leadership he's too close to people like former Turks and Caicos Premier Michael Misick and controversial businessman Andre Curtis, he's self absorbed and vain and he's ruthless, as was seen with the sacking of LeYoni Junos who won her case for unfair dismissal from Tourism in a recent court case, and in the sacking of New York Tourism staff.

Mr. Horton, who said his involvement with the party dates back to 1966, said Finance Minister Paula Cox or Energy Minister Terry Lister would make the best choices for Premier, although he conceded Mr. Lister has previously said he wasn't interested.

And Mr. Horton denied he wanted the top job. "I am not interested in the leadership, in being the Premier, I am interested in serving the people not necessarily a Cabinet position, I am not in this game for money, which some people seem to think. I am happy where I am now. I don't need the money.

"I told the Premier I am not interested in being leader but I don't think he believed me."

And he is angry that Dr. Brown has characterised his critics as having a personal agenda.

Mister Horton was sacked as Education Minister in November, with Premier Brown blaming the slow pace of reform. But others claimed Mr. Horton was angling to replace Dr. Brown.

Mr. Horton said: "This isn't a personal matter or because I had been moved from Cabinet. If that was the case after I was removed then surely I would have been right on the attack."

Instead said he had been a loyal backbencher, said Mr. Horton. But he said it was his responsibility to highlight concerns being raised in the Country.

And he claimed it wasn't the rebel group which leaked the caucus row to the media and that the debate should continue among MPs.

"That's the place we can fight like cats and dogs, we can say whatever we want to say."

Like colleague Wayne Perinchief, Mr. Horton too was angry about the suspension threat uttered by PLP chairman David Burt.

"Is that a threat to me, is that to say to me you better shut up? This is democracy.

"For the chairman who really has no place in this, it's a matter of MPs speaking to MPs in caucus and Senators.

"For the chairman to make that statement is absolutely out of order. I don't know who he thinks he's trying to scare."