There has been no discussion of a “pre-election exit strategy” and succession plan for Premier Jennifer Smith, says the man reported to be gearing up to replace her at the helm.

“I don't know anything about that. The first I heard of this leadership role since last year was this morning when I read the paper,” said Southampton East MP Reginald Burrows.

In a lengthy, unattributed story on Friday, The Mid-Ocean News reported speculation by “political insiders” that Ms Smith may step down before the election because of concerns about recent poll results which reported that her popularity rating had plummeted.

“A pre-election strategy for the Premier has been discussed for some weeks because her plunging poll numbers... make it increasingly unlikely she could lead the PLP to a second consecutive term in Government,” the paper stated.

“I am fully supportive of our leader,” Mr. Burrows said. “I hope that she can carry the PLP through to the next election.”

He would not say he was confident of that, however. “It's never advisable to be confident in politics because people and human nature that you are involved with and things can change overnight.”

He made it clear that, so close to an election, it would be unwise to make a change at the top “unless it is the only way that the party thinks it can win an election.” And if that was the case and he was asked, he said, he would be willing to step in.

There had also been no discussion about a post election changeover, he said. Asked about the likelihood of a leadership change after the election he said: “I don't know. I haven't the slightest idea.”

The Mid-Ocean News reported that the speculation was fuelled by the fact that Mr. Burrows is being honoured with an achievement award by Ewart Brown's Bermuda Healthcare Foundation, at a black-tie dinner June 14, and that the Premier is expected to be honoured the day before.

The newspaper quoted a “Government insider” who questioned why the Attorney General or Finance Minister Eugene Cox were not being honoured instead.

Mr. Burrows has been actively involved in community affairs since the 1950s. He entered politics in 1968. You'd have to ask the organisers,” he said of The Mid-Ocean New's speculation. He agreed that Mr. Cox should be honoured and said that Attorney General Dame Lois has received quite a few honours.

“I was honoured to have been chosen… I hope to receive some flowers or honour before I pass to the great beyond.”

Mr. Burrows was first cited as a possible replacement for Premier Smith last summer when a group of rebel backbencher demanded her resignation. A parliamentary caucus vote on the matter resulted in a tie and some later questioned whether a majority vote for the Premier's resignation would have had any legal effect.

The rebels agreed to abandon their effort and pull together for the election after the party's November conference. Yesterday, Mr. Burrows echoed comments by backbencher Wayne Perinchief, who was the most vocal of Ms Smith's opponents, that that decision still stands.

But he said while he had no intention of challenging the Premier, if she decides to resign “that's a horse of a different colour”.

He had declined to put himself forward as Ms Smith's replacement when it was mooted last year, he said, because he believed that if she made some changes “everything will be fine”.

Ms Smith had recognised her weaknesses and had been working on them, he said. As far as he was concerned she had made some progress in correcting them. He agreed with widespread sentiment that the Premier should be more visible but said “it's not the Premier that wins the election” and that he felt that most of the PLP MPs, including the Premier should be reelected.

Some within the party had been concerned about the recent Research Innovations poll which showed for the first time that the Opposition Leader (Grant Gibbons) had a higher popularity rating than the Premier, he said.

“The Premier should be much more visible,” he said, when asked how to improve public perception. But he said public expectations had been set by former Premiers and it may be unfair to judge Ms Smith by comparing her to other Premiers like Sir John Swan.

“A lot of people have come to accept that that's the way a Premier is supposed to be and I think it may be unfair to those people who are not like that and are doing a good job for the country. And I think she has been doing a good job,” he said.

“She's human. We all make mistakes. Not everybody has the same kind of personality.” Asked about his own political ambitions, Mr. Burrows said he once wanted to be Premier. “I think it's a bit late now,” he said.

He agreed that in hindsight he had made a strategic mistake by not running for party leader when he was asked to during the party's Opposition days.

“I was never that much in favour about being an Opposition Leader. But I think one has to take certain steps - I was never Opposition Leader so I had no chance of becoming Premier.”

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