Friday, after walking out last week after their colleague Mr. Julian Hall was suspended.

Opposition Leader Mr. Frederick Wade said the party caucus would discuss the matter tonight and vote on whether to send its MPs back to the House.

But Mr. Wade said he wasn't happy with the prospect of having United Bermuda Party MPs sitting alone. "You can't leave those fellows by themselves for very long,'' he said.

For example, he said, UBP speeches became "very extravagant'' and the Premier compared the PLP leader to Hitler after the Opposition left on Friday.

Mr. Hall was suspended for three sittings of the House after challenging the Speaker when told to be quiet while another MP was speaking. A row erupted that ended with Mr. Hall calling the speaker "bigoted and prejudiced''.

"It was a storm in a teacup,'' Mr. Wade said yesterday. "My own view is that once you start talking about race in this community, people let their emotions run very high, and there was strong talk in the House on the issue of race.

"Had we been discussing the speed limit or the motor car or exempted companies it wouldn't have happened. That's what I think the problem was.'' Mr. Wade said he believed Mr. Hall was "provoked'' by the Speaker, the Hon.

David Wilkinson. Mr. Hall was "doing nothing and got picked on.'' Mr. Wilkinson "was a famous House debater, a famous heckler,'' before he became Speaker. "He was off the mark in a minute. I guess in the Speaker's chair he's off the mark in a minute too.'' When the incident occurred, Health & Social Services Minister the Hon. Quinton Edness was speaking, criticising an earlier statement by Mr. Hall that several of the Island's most prominent blacks lacked "real power.'' "Quinton Edness started to apologise for the white community, which he generally does,'' Mr. Wade said. "You have to put it in context. You have to provide a certain amount of leeway, a certain amount of freedom, in that kind of debate because it gets volatile.'' Mr. Wade said Mr. Hall had the support of his colleagues, and the PLP MPs had voted unanimously to walk out in support of him on Friday.

Mr. Hall "feels things strongly and he speaks strongly,'' Mr. Wade said.

"That's one of his good points. I think those in authority have to recognise that and you have to live with it.'' He added: "Part of the problem is that there is no work for us in the House.

The legislative programme for the UBP has been very, very sluggish and weak.

The motion to adjourn has been the focal point of each meeting.''