front.

And she blasted the PLP for fostering "divisiveness'' in Bermuda and looking back instead of forward.

Ms Gordon -- addressing the party faithful from St. George's North and South - admitted people did not have everything they wanted and that the Island was not perfect.

But she said: "The important thing about it is that there are those who will have you believe that there is no future because they've spent all their valuable time and energy looking back, bringing back the past...instead of bringing Bermuda forward.'' Ms Gordon said that the past should not be forgotten -- but that the Country had to move "onward and upward.'' She added: "Don't be convinced because there is this emotion that says `give somebody else a chance, you don't have a choice, it's someone else's turn' without having the accountability and responsibility and knowing where they are going to take you.

"We need to know where we're going. Yes, we've been here for 30 years -- 30 years of success in this Country.'' Ms Gordon said there were five key issues in the General Election campaign -- drugs, crime, jobs, housing and education.

She added that much of what the PLP was advocating was "already happening.'' Ms Gordon said that the UBP was committed to beating drugs -- but no Government could do that without community support and "tough love.'' She added: "Once we deal with drugs I guarantee we can deal with crime.'' Ms Gordon said: "We looked at the concept of e-commerce because we believe we can fully utilise our children as participants. That is a very real thing -- we're talking opportunities, we're talking hope.'' She added that problems with housing had happened because Bermuda "was a victim of our success.'' But she said there were sufficient houses, whether unused or derelict, on the Island to give everybody a decent chance at life if the will was there.

And Ms Gordon added: "We know that the one thing we need in order to make a sound judgment, there is one fact -- we need an economic base to make it a reality.'' Ms Gordon was speaking in a packed St. George's Towne Hall as she endorsed the four UBP hopefuls in St. George' North and South -- Kim Swan, Bob Stewart, Rick Spurling and Derrick Carlington. Mr. Spurling invited the audience to compare the manifestos of the UBP and PLP.

He said: "We all see in the PLP manifesto that there are 54 `reviews' -- a review means one of two things.

"`We don't have a clue, so we'll review', or `we know what we're going to do, but we won't tell you.' "The first is outrageous, the second is frightening,'' Mr. Spurling added: "`Broadening the tax base' can only mean one thing -- there will be new and additional taxes.

"No-one should ever support a political party with a vote unless that party tells you what their tax policy would be.'' `Bermuda must look forward' Mr. Carlington said: "Don't stand by and let people say there is a lost generation -- that's so negative. All that does is push our young people to join gangs and commit crime,'' Mr. Stewart quoted a financial newsletter which praised the UBP's Keys to the Future blueprint as "impressive'' and a "model for politicians around the world.'' And Mr. Swan warned that a PLP Government would mean "a lot of promises which won't be kept.''