New Cabinet Minister Walter Roban told a white voter never to write to him again after she e-mailed him to complain about the Premier.

Claire Smith told The Royal Gazette last night that she was outraged by his "vitriolic response" after the Minister without Portfolio told her: "I ask that you refrain from sending e-mails to me. I do not correspond to racists or bigots masquerading as democrats. Goodbye."

Ms Smith said yesterday: "I think it reflects such horrible arrogance. I, along with everybody I know, is just so hurt over the disenfranchisement of white people in Bermuda. The current state of affairs is just so alarming to me."

The 51-year-old wrote to all PLP MPs on June 17 to complain about Premier Ewart Brown following his decision to bring four detainees to Bermuda from Guantánamo Bay without the UK's permission.

Her note was sent the day after protesters marched against the Premier through Hamilton, waving banners and calling for him to resign.

The Warwick businesswoman wrote to Government MPs: "I am ashamed of the leader of my country. His dictatorial leadership style, his grandiose spending, his questionable ethics, his inflated ego, his lack of transparency, his stirring up of racial hatred, are all hurting the fabric of our Island.

"The march on Parliament on Tuesday will pale when you see the turnout this Friday. This issue is not about race, nor is it about the PLP; there was no reaction like this to past leaders of the PLP.

"Premier Brown must go."

Mr. Roban replied to say it was clear that Ms Smith — who did not attend the June 16 march — was "part of the uncontrolled mob that descended on the Cabinet Office yesterday in an abusive, disrespectful and undemocratic manner that was caught on film".

He told her not to write to him again but she e-mailed back to say: "I was not a part of the Tuesday demonstration and I am not a bigot nor a racist. How easily you throw about such words without even knowing me.

"You can try to spin the dislike of Premier Brown into a black white issue, but it's not about this at all. By standing by your leader you are condoning his behaviour. History shall judge."

Mr. Roban, who was appointed to the Cabinet by Dr. Brown on June 23, sent a second reply, telling Ms Smith: "You do not know me either so why do you assume that I was really interest[ed] in any of your e-mail messages? Refrain from send[ing] any further messages to me."

Mr. Roban, who earns $165,000 as a Cabinet Minister and MP, was unrepentant last night. The member for Pembroke East told this newspaper: "You can see what I said and leave it there. If Ms Smith wants to make it a public issue she is entitled to do as she likes with it.

"My conversation was with her. If she wishes to give it to the media, that's no concern of mine. I have nothing else to say about it. Let the public decide."

Ms Smith, who describes herself as a non-party political activist who has campaigned on environmental issues, said: "It's outrageous. He should be sacked. This is no way to speak to his voters. He works for me.

"He is on a huge salary. I don't know what justifies that salary as he has no portfolio. Why are we paying him all that money."

She added that she had seen footage of the June 16 protest and felt the Minister's depiction of an "uncontrolled mob" was a joke. "He's obviously never seen an uncontrolled mob."

She claimed the three demonstrations held against the Premier in June were unprecedented in the Island's history.

"To get 1,500 Bermudians out there in the rain — that speaks volumes about how people feel. White people feel so disenfranchised that that's the only way of speaking out."

Ms Smith, who was the owner of Bermuda Trader for 20 years, said Mr. Roban's reply was the only one she received but she was unsure if her message reached all the MPs she tried to e-mail.

• Read a letter to the editor from Ms Smith and the full correspondence between her and Mr. Roban on the opinion page.

• Write to us to share your views on the Minister's response. E-mail letters@royalgazette.bm.