United Bermuda Party chairman Shawn Crockwell will fight the Pembroke West vacated by Jamahl Simmons at the next election. Former MP Erwin Adderley had long been championed by a faction looking to get rid of Mr. Simmons.

But Mr. Crockwell was given overwhelming support for his selection yesterday. Both Mr. Crockwell and newly-elected Party leader Michael Dunkley were tight-lipped about the selection yesterday while Mr. Adderley said he did not know what had happened.

However one pro-Adderley supporter said: “It’s true and I am upset. Quite honestly I think Erwin would be much better.”

The source predicted Mr. Crockwell would be similar to Mr. Simmons in that he would be distracted from parochial matters by the demands of party HQ. “We just got rid of one and now we are putting in another who won’t have the time.

“Don’t get me wrong — I think he is going places but as far as Pembroke West is concerned he won’t have the time.”

Mr. Simmons messy resignation in which he accused former leader Wayne Furbert on not doing enough to help him fight of the challenge was one of the factors behind the recent leadership change. The UBP beat the PLP by a comfortable 241 votes in the 2003 election.