The Progressive Labour Party is split in Parliament because Premier Jennifer Smith and a clique in her Cabinet are not communicating with their backbench MPs, shadow Home Affairs Minister Michael Dunkley claimed last night.

He spoke out after three PLP MPs criticised Works and Engineering Minister Alex Scott on Friday night over his initiative to give cash incentives to employers who take on Bermudian workers.

Derrick Burgess, Dale Butler and Reginald Burrows condemned the plan, prompting Mr. Scott to brand Mr. Burgess a member of the "loyal opposition''.

Mr. Butler last night dismissed the allegation of poor communication between the Cabinet and PLP backbenchers, but Mr. Burgess refused to comment.

Mr. Dunkley said: "I'm very concerned because there seems to be a huge divide between a core group in the Cabinet and the vast majority of the backbenchers.

"The fact that three Government MPs attacked Alex Scott shows its not being communicated and this is something we have been seeing for some months.

"Budget time is the perfect opportunity for backbenchers to speak in support of the Government and I didn't really see that.

"Dale Butler has been involved for years in education and many think he should be Education Minister and he didn't even speak on the head at all.'' PLP denies `great divide' "Arthur Pitcher has hardly ever been in the House, Neletha Butterfield didn't speak, neither did Reggie Burrows and El James, and Arthur Hodgson's absence has been noted.

"A group of Cabinet members are moving forward with what they think is right and the backbench are either not being communicated with, or they are not speaking out because they don't agree with the policies.

"If the situation doesn't change Bermuda is heading for a difficult situation where Government is moving forward without consultation or proper communication.

"The Premier is spending $150,000 on a public relations consultant rather than getting buy-in from the backbenches and getting her troops to spread the message.

"And with the Premier spending half a million guarding herself it seems she is putting up more barricades to stop people communicating with her.

"The UBP was pushed from Government because it lost touch with the people but this Government has been there 27 months and not only have they lost touch with their backbench, they're not even listened to any more.

"The great divide is there. Some might say this is a political game by Michael Dunkley to divide the PLP, but the fact is the Budget is a great opportunity to speak, but hardly any backbencher took the opportunity to get up and speak, and when they did, they spoke against their government.'' Mr. Butler said he didn't speak in the education debate because it had been covered by the Premier, and he wanted to avoid the situation of being linked with the Education Minister's job because he spoke on the subject.

"I don't think the backbench thinks there a lack of communication at all. Mr.

Dunkley has no basis for making that statement,'' he said.

"Every family has its disagreements and I don't know of any lack of communication and this little incident is not the wedge they would like it to be. It is a bridge that will make us stronger.

"I said at the beginning of my remarks on Friday that the UBP has been looking a wedge between the backbench and the front bench, and this isn't a wedge.'' He said he spoke out against cash for hiring Bermudians initiative because it was "nonsense'' and because he "resented being called a member of the `loyal opposition' when we had a disagreement and there was no vote, and so we could express an opinion.

"There isn't time (for backbenchers to speak in the Budget debate). After the ministers have gone through their brief thoroughly and the UBP have gone through their brief thoroughly, there's practically no time.'' Although Mr. Burgess refused to comment last night, last year he said backbenchers needed much more influence because legislation was practically a "done deal'' by the time Government MPs got to see it.