Opposition Senator Kim Swan rounded on uninterested whites and a complacent Progressive Labour Party in a fiery speech which claimed Bermuda is a racial powder-keg ready to explode.

And he called for a Royal Commission on race relations before the situation degenerated into riots.

He said: “Let’s make no mistake, race relations in Bermuda are at a very low ebb and it needs to be looked at honestly from all sectors of the community — black and white.

“We need to recognise there would be no need in Bermuda to level the playing field and no need for economic empowerment unless there was an uneven playing field to begin with. We need to get buy-in for that.

“We are, maybe, one ignition away from a social time bomb exploding. It would not bode well for the good reputation of Bermuda that’s coming under question today.

“This economic miracle we have in Bermuda isn’t enjoyed by everyone and in the lead up to the election, let nobody be mistaken — this PLP Government is as equally responsible for ignoring the have-nots in Bermuda as anyone before them. They have sat ideally by for nine years.”

He said only now was the Housing Minister looking at geared-to-income accommodation — nine years after it was first promised.

“Whilst they have been on the cocktail-and-champagne circuit the gap between the haves and the have-nots has widened.

“And yet, it would be convenient now we are in the midst of a lead-up to the election to exploit the very thing that the previous Premiers before the current one have not addressed, that’s the racial divide. Indeed, in the 2003 election, it was no less than the PLP that used race in belittling candidates of the United Bermuda Party to make political hay. Well do it now and you might be the ignition to the volatility that exists in this community.”

He said the PLP had quadrupled Cabinet’s travel budget since taking over from the United Bermuda Party.

“There is not much time left in this community to understand what I am talking about,” he said.

“The time bomb I speak of is real. And there is a responsibility for the white community to appreciate why blacks feel in this country it is well justified and is with good reason.

“The day has come when the white community in Bermuda has to make more of a concerted effort to understand why blacks feel the way they feel.”

Tackling the problem needed an equal commitment from all sectors, said Sen. Swan, but he feared the race issue was easy prey for politicisation but those who did so were playing with real fire.

“This community has had enough. They are ready to explode.”

Senator Swan said he saw a saw small cottage in Flatts on the market for $4,800 a month rent. “That says to a lot Bermudians, ‘there’s a house for rent but that’s not for you’.”

However, at that point other Senators chipped in to say that at the price they could not afford the rent either.

Sen. Swan finished by saying: “If ever we needed a Royal Commission, we need it on race relations and the building of one Bermuda before the next riots.”