With the storm over Berkeley, Alex Scott has been front and centre during the PLPs first term.

But despite missed deadlines, the 63-year-old party stalwart has plugged on, using PR skills built up from running his own firm to good effect.

Yesterday he told The Royal Gazette that he had been loyal to all PLP leaders but that loyalty to the party rather than individuals came first.

And despite being seen as a Smith loyalist he is no stranger to taking her on - twice losing out to her in election contests in 1996.

Affable and unpretentious, he has also kept on good terms with the media despite the Berkeley controversy. The trained spin doctor achieved notoriety in the 1998 election when he slammed the UBP Government and big business for being too close to organised crime.

The former Shadow Home Affairs Minister become well known while in Opposition for his tough campaigning on issues in that Ministry, targeting Immigration, the Police and the Bermuda Regiment.

He also developed a reputation for bringing issues into the public eye and then finding that the facts did not always match up to the original claims.

Indeed, the same thing occurred in Government last May when Mr. Scott claimed an "approved candidate" of the United Bermuda Party made efforts to induce an officer in the Works Ministry to hand over documents relating to the Berkeley project, saying that there was going to be a Police raid in connection with the project and that he, the officer, was going to be the fall guy. The candidate also approached the officer's wife, said Mr. Scott, and promises were made that the officer would be "taken care" of by some powerful people if he handed over the documents.

A file was handed over to the Police, but nothing appears to have come of the investigation.

Former Senator Calvin Smith said Mr. Scott could be a healer for the party which split so publicly the day after winning its second term. He has the ability to see very quickly where people are in terms of attitudes," Mr. Smith said, adding that Mr. Scott's PR training meant he had an ability to come up with a timely and appropriate statement.

"He will fight vigorously for what he believes but he is not willing to admit he has made a mistake.

"He's a man with strong character probably because his father was a Policeman. If he tells you something will be done he will deliver.

"He's a different kind of character than Dr. Brown and would probably listen more."

A willingness to back down from policies which don't find favour comes more easily to Mr. Scott, suggested Mr. Smith.

"He can get very angry and can be very cutting when angry. If something is not going his way he can fight vigorously and, in the process, there is no telling what sort of remarks he might make.

"But he doesn't hold grudges. He certainly won't be pushed around as a leader.

"I think he is a good capable man who would make it possible to bring the warring groups together. That's the mark of leadership you need to promote and seek. You have to deal with people without alienating them."

Mr. Scott's roots in the PLP run very deep. A party officer and public relations officer in the 1970s, he formed part of a highly effective trio of Opposition Senators along with close friends Ms Smith and the late David Allen from 1985 to 1989 when the PLP's fortunes were at their lowest ebb.

When Ms Smith and Mr. Allen won election to the House of Assembly in 1989, Mr. Scott became Opposition Senate Leader and then won his seat in Warwick East in 1993, defeating Education Minister Gerald Simons.

In 1998, he became Works Minister.

Politically Mr. Smith described Mr. Scott as being right of centre and like Dr. Brown believes strongly in people competing and people earning their positions. On Independence, Mr. Scott would probably choose the moment the electorate were comfortable with going for self-rule rather than lead the charge, said Mr. Smith.

Mr. Scott recently had a prostate operation. One former cabinet minister suggested Mr. Scott was too ill for the top job but Mr. Smith said he thought Mr. Scott's health problems were over.