In his first public comment on the “unfortunate” decision to oust him from the United Bermuda Party's (UBP) parliamentary group, Trevor Moniz vowed yesterday to stay the course as a representative of Smith's South.

“Clearly, I'm not happy about it,” he told The Royal Gazette. “I will, of course, continue to represent my constituency to the best of my ability. I'm still a rank and file member and I will continue to do what I'm doing - which is represent my constituency.”

For now, he is cool to the idea of crossing the aisle and joining the ruling party. “I'm not speculating - I'm not going to rush off and do anything rash,” he said. “But if you're batting, you stay to the wicket. My intentions have always been to act with integrity, to act with principle and to be consistent so I wouldn't rush off and do some crazy, rash thing. This is not the time to make any rash decision - you keep doing what you're doing.”

Last week the UBP announced that its caucus had “declined” by majority vote to reinstate the party whip to Mr. Moniz.

According to the party, the whip had been removed because of his failure to attend caucus meetings and House sessions regularly.

The decision means he sits in the House as an independent member. Asked if he intended to run again in the next election as an independent, he said: “Certainly my present intention is to stand again in my district. But obviously as you go along, you have to take the temperature and see where things are going.”

Mr. Moniz said that some of his supporters had called when the news came out. “Some of them are surprised, some are not surprised. But there's disappointment.”

He said those who voted for his ouster had done a disservice to the party and the country. “They've not helped themselves, they've not helped the UBP and they've not helped Bermuda,” Mr. Moniz said.

“You've got to have room for people with different opinions.”

“I think I've got a track record,” he said when asked about the perception that he is not a team player.

Mr. Moniz is taking solace in the fact that he has a record of taking a position on issues and sticking to his guns.

Citing his contributions to debate on long term residents, historic wrecks legislation and his years-long campaign to establish a register of interests for Parliamentarians, he said: “I have a pretty consistent body of work” and had not voted against the party since 1998.

It was pointed out that the examples he gave could also be cited as areas where he did not toe the party line.

“I was disappointed at the level of support I got on those issues and how long it took them” to come around. “They didn't vote against the Historic Wrecks Act, they did try to amend it in a way I didn't agree with,” he said.

“But I've got a record (since 1997) on that position. I haven't flip-flopped around. Everybody knows where I stood - whether it was Independence or McDonald's, I've stayed there. I don't move.”

He added : “The truth is, within the UBP, I was always marginalised. That was my feeling - they always tried to marginalise me.”

The Royal Gazette understands that the decision not to reinstate Mr. Moniz after two years in the political wilderness, was made by a narrow majority vote and may have gone along the lines of the recent leadership vote which saw Dr. Grant Gibbons elected leader, by a slim majority, over John Barritt.

The UBP has made it clear in the past that it attempts to arrive at major decisions through consensus after thorough discussion. If that fails then a vote is taken.

Mr. Moniz said, when asked, that his positions in the House of Assembly will depend on what's best for the country, not blind loyalty to his party.

“Will the party be loyal to me? Loyalty is a two-way street. I want to do what's best for Bermuda. And if they do that then we're on the same side of the fence.”