Ewart Brown supporter Nelson Bascome believes Alex Scott can still be ousted in Friday?s delegates votes ? despite Paula Cox weighing in to support the incumbent.

Some pundits have predicted Ms Cox?s popularity could help shore up a flagging Alex Scott campaign.

Mr. Bascome, who was sacked from Cabinet by Alex Scott, said: ?Looking at the whole campaign he?s going to rely on folks who can give him some support. It will help his cause.?

Asked if Ms Cox?s intervention will tip the balance in favour of Mr. Scott Mr. Bascome said: ?It will come down to leadership, not the deputy leadership race.?

He said Friday night?s vote can finally deal with running sores from the 2003 contest which saw the parliamentary party split in half and force out Premier Jennifer Smith.

Dr. Brown had challenged for the leadership but was forced to settle for the Deputy post when Mr. Scott was chosen as a compromise candidate.

Mr. Bascome said: ?Friday night will bring some finality to all these questions. Right now it?s still looking too close to call.

?I think we will see a lot of manoeuvring - people trying to get last-minute votes.

?I think the whole process will allow people to say ?right, we have to move on,? regardless of what happens.

?I think it will bring closure - after a while people get tired. It?s time for maturity.

?We keep bringing up the past, trying to somehow validate the future. It doesn?t work that way. We need to get over it.?

Fellow Government backbench MP Glenn Blakeney said he expected Mr. Scott to win quite comfortably and he accused Dr. Brown of plotting to run another campaign by stealth before he was outed.

He wondered when Dr. Brown ? who had previously said he wouldn?t run this time ? would have declared his hand, had not Ren?e Webb forced him into the open by her comments to .

?It was almost like he was drawn out by Ren?e Webb.

?If you say it?s the status quo, you are not interested in challenging and then everyone lets their guards down while you formulate a strategy to challenge it looks like a repeat of 2003 in a more palatable way.

?I would prefer complete openness like the American way.

?Had Renee Webb not pre-empted him I wonder how soon he would have mentioned it? I wonder what window of opportunity he would have given the incumbent to develop a strategy to counter the challenge??

He said the Brown platform had no new ideas which weren?t being addressed by the present leadership.

And he said the challenger had not even mentioned immigration which was currently a hot topic.

?The challenger is talking about ?i?, ?me?, ?myself?. I have a problem with that, there isn?t so much a commitment to a team concept.

?The Cabinet, the Throne Speech, these kinds of things might be put in a tailspin if there?s a change.

?I think the Premier will definitely pull the fat out of the fire because at the end of the day common sense will prevail.

?My question to the delegate is what has the PLP done so miserably wrong that deserves three PLP leader and three Premiers ? if there should be a change ? in eight years??

He said Mr. Scott had done nothing to deserve being turfed out after helping bring the party together after the acrimony from the last Dr. Brown challenge and for keeping the economy on an even keel.

?I think people will do the right thing for the right reason and give Mr. Scott an comfortable victory, you have a ship with a steady rudder.?

Mr. Blakeney commended Mr. Scott for being the first Bermuda political leader to consult widely and listen to the public which he said then inevitably led to some slow-down in policy delivery.

?If you think you need to rethink, you have to go back to the drawing board ? for example with the hospital. I think that?s good in a leader.

?I don?t want a Bogarde type of leader in my movie. I want compassion and sensitivity.

?I just hope everyone maintains the high road and Dr. Brown doesn?t take anything personally.?

But Mr. Blakeney said he was sorry Dr. Brown would walk away from politics if not elected as leader and he added he would be disappointed if he didn?t personally get to nominate Paula Cox for Deputy Leader.

Backbench MP George Scott said there was ?comfortable? but not ?overwhelming? support for Dr. Brown.

?I expect him to win. That?s what I am hearing.

?Notwithstanding the delegates, there is support out there in the community at large. People like the fact he?s put something out there.?

Dr. Brown?s vision statement, which has gone to delegates, was also shared with the media on Friday.

Mr. Scott said: ?It might not have been done in the past but maybe it?s the right way to go. I support it. It?s progressive politics.?

Progressive Labour Party grandee Dame Lois Browne Evans came out in favour of Mr. Scott last night telling a television station too many changes were not good for the party.

She described Mr. Scott as diligent and a deep thinker.

?He?s a good person for this country. This country has never done anything in a rush.?