Warwick South East sees a clash of two big hitters as Works and Engineering Minister Alex Scott takes on former United Bermuda Party senator and Cabinet minister E.T. (Bob) Richards.

Mr. Scott's parliamentary career began in 1985 when he was appointed a Progressive Labour Party senator, and in 1989 he became opposition leader in the Senate.

He entered the House of Assembly in 1993 to represent Warwick East and was made Works and Engineering Minister when the PLP won the 1998 election.

At Works and Engineering, where he is in charge of a multi-million dollar budget, Mr. Scott has found himself embroiled in a number of controversies - particularly the appointment of a contractor for the Berkeley School project and the Minister's continued refusal to rule out the school opening in time for this term when it is clearly way behind schedule.

The Minister spent almost two weeks in hospital in May for an enlarged prostate and doctors have told him to rest up, but he hopes to be out campaigning in the final two or three weeks.

A founding member of the Big Brothers mentoring organisation, Mr. Scott has been married to Olga for 31 years and they have two children, Robyn Eve, and William Lawrence Scott.

UBP candidate Bob Richards is a former general manager of the Bermuda Monetary Authority and the president and founder of Bermuda Asset Management. Mr. Richards was UBP Senate Leader from 1997 to 1998.

As Minister of Telecommunications, he oversaw Bermuda being the first island economy to de-monopolise its telecommunications industry, leading to a 70 percent drop in the cost of overseas calls.

A Warwick resident, he is married to Pauline Richards, a former chief financial officer with Aon.

Mr. Richards fought the old Warwick East dual seat constituency in 1998, but he and fellow senator Larry Scott were wiped out as the PLP scored a spectacular victory in both Warwick districts.

Mr. Richards scored 776 votes and Mr. Scott got 784. But the PLP's Dale Butler topped the poll with 1,320 votes and Alex Scott took 1,278.

Mr. Richards, a Warwick resident, has a rich political pedigree and is the son of Bermuda's first black premier, Sir Edward Richards.