Shadow Finance Minister Patricia Gordon-Pamplin said last night that racism in the UBP had never been an issue for her and suggested that those now citing it as reason for leaving the party may have been vulnerable to outside influences.

The Paget West MP told The Royal Gazette that she found it hard to reconcile her own experiences within the party to those described by Gwyneth Rawlins, Jamahl Simmons and David Dunkley, who have all quit the Opposition within the last two weeks.

"I have never experienced it," she said. "I don't wish to negate how people have felt. I can only say that I have never felt that way. It's not an issue for me."

She said she could not understand how Ms Rawlins — who dramatically resigned as UBP chairman on Wednesday evening - had given an upbeat, positive speech to the party's annual general meeting just a month ago.

"It pains me that a black member of our party in the form of the chairman felt so disrespected but would stand up and be so supportive of the party," she said. "Nobody could have made me say something I didn't believe in. I would want to think that people are going to be 100 percent honest."

Ms Rawlins said in a statement on Wednesday that she had had "great hopes of developing a political career" but was thwarted by a white elite.

Mrs Gordon-Pamplin said: "I hate that somebody's personal political aspirations have been stymied but by the same token is it a case of: 'If I got a Senate seat everything was going to be okay'? Either things are good or they are not."

She added: "I certainly am very, very proud to be a member of our party because I don't have any ego. If there are people I don't get on with, that's of no consequence to me. Nobody can disrespect me."

Mrs Gordon-Pamplin questioned whether those who had quit the party had succumbed to the continued accusations of racism from the UBP's political opponents.

"I would hate to think that it had come to that but I don't see any other explanation unless they sat in another room from me," she said. "There has been this attitude of the PLP calling us racists. If you have a person who doesn't have a strong resolve or someone who feels threatened, they might say: 'Let me hang on to this racism card'.

"Either you have some masochistic people or you have some very unfortunate people who are just vulnerable enough to succumb to the continued expressions of racism."

She added: "Within the membership of any organisation there are going to be people who don't reflect the majority of people. You are going to have some nasty people no matter what happens.

"But I don't think we are talking about the parliamentary group. I don't think we have got a bunch of racists that we deal with. Certainly not my colleagues in the House (of Assembly)."

She added that those within the party who felt disillusioned should leave and allow the party to begin the "healing process".

"We will heal and we will come forth strongly from this because I don't think Bermuda can afford another PLP government."