Government backbencher Wayne Perinchief delivered a passionate speech urging his own party to quit playing the race card and encouraging all to stand up against prejudice.

Mr. Perinchief took to his feet during a lengthy debate on race in the House of Assembly prompted by controversial comments about white Bermudians by Progressive Labour Party backbencher Zane DeSilva on Friday night.

At one stage Government whip Lovitta Foggo gestured to Mr. Perinchief to stop speaking — but he refused to back down, implying it would be difficult for his party leaders to marginalise him even more than they already have.

Announcing he had a message for his own party, the straight-talking former Policeman said that too often people use the race card and play on the fears of minorities including gays.

Reflecting on the way the House of Assembly had earlier exploded into life after Mr. DeSilva's remarks, Mr. Perinchief said: "Just when we thought we were going to get out of here at 4.30, up steps one of my contemporaries and opens up a big can of worms. I'm sure he did it in the best interests of the Party and his constituents."

The former Culture Minister continued: "Race will always be a factor. Racists and those that would divide fear unity. You can divide people, manipulate people, you can maintain power.

"We as leaders have the power to change the paradigm. I believe that the paradigm changed significantly in 1998."

Mr. DeSilva had attacked white Bermudians for voting in lines for the United Bermuda Party, claiming that's why Charlie Swan won the by-election in midweek and that if they voted that way in the US election they would not have voted for Barack Obama.

Mr. Perinchief argued that when he first became a politician people told him not to bother canvassing certain areas as there was no chance they would vote for the PLP. He said he eventually won some of those voters round.

He said that in last year's election 300 of his supporters didn't come out to vote, meaning that he must have won support from people who did not vote along racial lines.

"I believe that as time goes on and as more and more members, individually and collectively, recognise that people are more concerned on issues than they are on race and colour, then this House, and the governance of this country, will change," he said.

"I'm going to give a caveat to my own party, which I love dearly. I will say to my party and my Government: there are vestiges of racism. The use of the race card, the manipulation of people, their fears; not only against whites — but being slightly anti-gay and being slightly against people who are seen as not black enough."

He said when he was younger he was seen as not black enough and not white enough to be accepted anywhere.

He added: "I believe that what Barack Obama has brought to the fore is the universality of the concept that one man can make a difference. We all have heard of Gandhi.

"What I would like to see is that we stop acting with a sense of homogeneity, start acting collectively, stand up as individuals, and start acting for what we stand for."

Referring to Ms Foggo, he said: "Miss Whip is trying to stop me. This dialogue is not one that has to be shut up.

"Not enough of us speak truthfully. Not enough of us speak up. Not enough of us are convinced that race isn't something that we can use.

"We all fall into the trap sometimes of pandering to racism, pandering to racists, because it suits our own political ends.

"When we stop it at our level, it will stop at other ends. When we start speaking and supporting high ideals as a group of people ... they are crying out for us to take a stand.

"Stop maintaining the status quo. Step up, step out, stop the rhetoric."

Mr. Perinchief — along with fellow outspoken Government MPs Ashfield DeVent and Alex Scott — has to sit with the UBP politicians in the House of Assembly because there is not enough room on the PLP side.

He made reference to this in a hand gesture adding: "Mr. Speaker, they can't push me any further to the back of the bus."

Later in the evening, Deputy Premier Paula Cox closed the debate in the absence of Premier Ewart Brown and said: "Clearly the honourable member who speaks, as he says, from the back of the bus, should not fear being banished for his political comments."

She added that the House was a place where MPs could speak their views freely.