Concerned Progressive Labour Party MPs set up a special meeting to rap under-fire MP Dale Butler after he labelled European women as plain and unhygienic.

And last night senior backbencher Reginald Burrows said another meeting would be set up on the issue next week.

He said: "We have not yet come to a conclusion." But he hinted that any formal sanction was unlikely as Mr. Butler was respected for the contribution he had made.

Mr. Burrows said of the coming meeting: "We hope to get the whole party involved.

"Just about everybody was very upset with his remarks, we don't support them.

"But he's a young guy who said something he shouldn't have said."

Mr. Butler told The Royal Gazette that even PLP MPs who had not been in Bermuda during the controversy had got in touch when they got back to raise concerns while party officials had also taken him to task.

He said a meeting had been set up last Tuesday with about ten MPs present but he said the attitude of colleagues to his plight was: "We don't condone what you said but we don't believe we need to hang you out to dry."

He said colleagues appreciated his contribution to the Country and his party.

Mr. Butler had raised the ire of many when he said, during a debate about giving long term residents new rights, that Europeans were plain when they arrived in Bermuda and failed to bathe or use deodorant as often as locals.

Last night he said he had only been passing on the concerns raised by people during canvassing sessions but had been unwise to repeat them in the House of Assembly.

He said: "I have had about a dozen people mention that to me. But I should have left those concerns on the doorstep."

Mr. Butler, who works in training and human resources for the restaurant company Little Venice Group, admitted about ten people had cancelled meal reservations in anger at his comments.

But he said since his public apology there had not been any continuing backlash affecting the business even though it was still a hot topic in the community.

"I seemed to be bombarded by everyone."

But Mr. Butler said he had not hidden from the issue by dodging social engagements.

"I have answered every single call, I have not ducked my responsibility. I went to Cup Match both dates."

And Mr. Butler said a lot of people had wished him well even though they had not liked what he said in his outburst.