Britain has admitted to having no clear policy on whether its colonies should choose Independence through elections or a referendum, but has promised to come to a determination by Christmas, said Premier Alex Scott yesterday.

Mr. Scott, clarifying a Government report on the Overseas Territories conference he attended last week, said:?I, in fact, raised the issue of a very peculiar circumstance here in Bermuda that a Deputy Governor should be seen to support the idea of a referendum.?

He said Michael Misick, the Chief Minister of the Turks and Caicos Islands had supported his contention that colonies had always gone to independence via a General Election.

Bill Rammell, the British Minister with responsibility for Overseas Territories, had pointed out that a referendum was held in Scotland on devolution, but ?Mr. Rammell then had to admit the British Government does not have a position and he would go away and consider a position by Christmas, and he invited us to submit our views to him.?

He said the invitation was to ?those people who were sitting at the table? that is, the heads of Governments of the colonies.

Asked if Government would be making a submission, he said the matter had first to be discussed with Cabinet and party leaders.

?He knows our view. It was our view that stimulated the conversation. TCI was very clear, and Gibraltar was equally clear. It?s more for him to realise his position than for us.?

Mr. Scott said a press conference would be held on the issue this week. The Opposition United Bermuda Party?s official position is that a referendum should be held to decide whether Bermuda goes it alone.

According to a Government press office release, a number of Overseas Territories had sought clarification from the UK on whether the UK supported Overseas Territories seeking independence ?by election or referendum? and whether ?either method was an ?option or an expectation?.?

?Some of the Overseas Territories indicated that they were dissatisfied with their current constitutional arrangement with the UK and expressed a strong support for their desire to be granted the ?Bermuda model? of governance,? the statement continued.

?Mr. Rammell agreed that the line between partnership and self-determination with the Overseas Territories needed to be critically examined, and said he would seek further advice on how best discussions can be taken.

?He admitted that the UK had no clear policy on the issue at the moment. Mr. Rammell pointed out that the Bermuda Constitution was different from the other Overseas Territories because it had been drawn up at a time when the Island was expected to move quickly to independence.?

Relations between the UK and the colonies changed gear in 1999 when Britain published ?Partnership for Progress and Prosperity?, a White Paper which set out the foundations for a new, more equal relationship.

A key proposal of that paper was to remove Immigration restrictions on OT citizens travelling to the UK by restoring full British citizenship.