A code of conduct for MPs covering debates, campaigns and elections should be created to prevent a repeat of the ?slurs? that marred the General Election this year, it was claimed last week.

Opposition leader Dr. Grant Gibbons said during his response to the Throne Speech the United Bermuda Party (UBP) was proposing a working group be set up between both parties to create and implement new standards for Parliamentarians to abide by.

And he said the call had arisen from concerns over the way the Progressive Labour Party (PLP) conducted itself during the election campaign in July, when members of the UBP were referred to as ?shysters? and black members were described as having ?suntans?.

?The United Bermuda Party has serious concerns about how the Progressive Labour Party used race in its election campaign,? said Dr. Gibbons.

?During the course of the campaign, candidates for the PLP denigrated the New United Bermuda Party?s black candidates using racial slurs and epithets. In one incident, the PLP withdrew a racially inflammatory commercial after a broadcast company expressed legal concerns about the ad?s content.

?Of course, the ad was based on a malicious skit that continued to be performed at PLP rallies.?

Dr. Gibbons said the UBP was a multiracial and multicultural group that firmly believed that working together was the only way for Bermudians to make real social and economic progress in the 21st century.

?We believe racially insensitive and divisive rhetoric is not in our country?s best interests, and we know that Bermudians dislike negative campaigning,? added Dr. Gibbons.

?But complaining about it will change little. That?s why the United Bermuda Party today proposes the establishment of principles of conduct to guide all our political communications, including parliamentary debate and election campaigns.?

But Deputy Premier Dr. Ewart Brown said the UBP had used up too much of its response to the Throne Speech by concentrating on things it did not like about the election campaign.

He said: ?They said some of the things we did in the campaign were negative and not what Bermudians wanted to see, but during the heat of the campaign, things happen. Tensions rise, emotions flare. It gets like that.

?But I?m more concerned about the lack of understanding on the part of the UBP when it comes to how the racial picture will be straightened out.?

Dr. Brown said members of the UBP were ?hyper-sensitive? when it came to matters of race and just wished to sweep it under the carpet.

?I think it has its roots to the fact that the UBP was born in the crucible of racism,? said Dr. Brown. And he said many of the policies in the early days were racist policies.

But Dr. Brown said even today, the UBP could not understand the ?impact of yesterday?s injustices?, but he said, just like people wished for the Holocaust to be remembered, so people in Bermuda wished for the days of slavery and injustice to be remembered.

?There is a sustained impact from that kind of thing and those of us that are victims of it are challenged,? he added.

?I?m always concerned about the UBP making a point about race as though it has no roots. We have a racial problem today and this is how we should fix it today.

?We will never get there unless we have open, honest and frank discussions on race past, present and future.?

Dr. Brown said the country and the UBP could not expect a quick fix to all of sudden fix racism.

But Dr. Gibbons said politicians in the UK had adopted similar principles and MPs in Bermuda would be setting a good example by abiding by basic courtesies and rules.

?We expect these principles of conduct for political communications to exert a certain moral authority over political parties and individuals who seek to serve the people of Bermuda through public office,? said the Opposition leader.

?Political leaders should be role models in race relations; by doing so, they can influence the actions of their supporters, as well as the broader public. We believe this approach represents a tangible step in reducing divisive racial politics, and we hope it will help create a more tolerant and respectful community.?