Bermuda will boycott future Overseas Territories Consultative Council meetings if Governors are still allowed to sit in.

Speaking from London after the close of this year's two-day summit Premier Ewart Brown also told The Royal Gazette Bermuda would no longer submit recommended names for appointments of Governors.

Dr. Brown said the new hard-line stance would be explained to Overseas Territories Minister Lord Triesman in a one-to-one meeting today.

He said: "We want to clarify our position that we are not interested in sending any criteria for any future Governors for selection for the reason we don't think it is our responsibility."

He said Bermuda would be interested in setting up criteria for its own Governor General "when we become independent but not this. That's the UK's call.

"They should send whoever they want to send."

Asked if Independence would be on the PLP's election platform Dr. Brown said he "didn't know".

Recently it emerged that the Alex Scott Government had asked for two high-flying black British ministers to be considered for the shortlist to succeed Sir John Vereker who could step down as soon as next year.

Both Baroness Amos and Baroness Scotland had been mooted but Dr. Brown has signalled an abrupt halt to discussions over the new appointment since taking over. And he added that Bermuda had joined with other British territories in calling for the end to having Governors sit in on Overseas Territories Consultative Council (OTCC).

The Governors do not sit in all the sessions but attend some at the invitation of the British Government.

Dr. Brown said: "We have served notice we will not attend if the trend is to include Governors in our meetings. We can meet with Governors at any time. All the territories were agreed.

"If we are meeting with UK Ministers then we don't want Governors to be part of the meeting. That is the reason Gibraltar didn't even come. They figured the meeting is for the territories."

He said the British Government had not given any decision on whether Governors will be allowed to attend the next annual round of meetings where policy issues are discussed.

"I think they understood it and I would expect them to respect our position," said Dr. Brown.

Last night Opposition leader Wayne Furbert branded Dr. Brown's boycott threat as silly.

He said: "He is saying if I can't get my way I will not attend the party."

Mr. Furbert said Bermuda could run the risk of missing out on vital information if it didn't attend the London summits.

Despite the stand-off the Foreign and Commonwealth Office last night issued an upbeat press release with Lord Triesman saying the two-day session had been productive.

The meeting included presentations from Secretary of State for International Development Hilary Benn and Minister of State for the Criminal Justice system and Law Reform Baroness Scotland.

He said: "Their presentations on international corruption, criminal justice and climate change struck a chord with all of us."

Britain has also offered the territories money to fund co-ordination of criminal justice work across the territories. Dr. Brown said Bermuda might take some UK cash but he conceded it was unlikely. "It's not been our tradition. I don't see us doing it."

In today's meeting he will be discussing the on-going saga of Bermuda's squabble with the Isle of Man over rights to a potentially lucrative satellite slot.

Also on the agenda are the potential lost fees for Bermuda from a push to have all UK-owned aircraft registered there.

Discussed yesterday at the OTCC were aviation and maritime security, good governance and ethics, human rights, a rolling programme of disaster preparedness reviews and criminal justice strategy.

Lord Triesman said the OTCC had agreed that the UN conventions against corruption would be extended to the Overseas Territories at the earliest opportunity.

He said: "The British Virgin Islands had already agreed to this and all the other territories had signified their agreement in principle."

He added: "The OTCC also welcomed the planned programme of assistance to support development of human rights initiatives in the territories."