NEW Premier Alex Scott yesterday admitted the Progressive Labour Party's victory at the polls last week had been narrower than he had expected.

He conceded that the voters had sent a message which his Government had heard and vowed to run a "responsive government" and to work towards uniting Bermuda as well as the PLP.

And in his first in-depth interview since replacing Jennifer Smith as Premier, Mr. Scott (pictured) promised to keep the public continually informed of what the Government was doing and why, through a closer relationship with the media than his predecessor had enjoyed.

The split which saw the PLP's 22 MPs divide into two camps within hours of their General Election victory last Thursday had left Mr. Scott feeling "saddened".

But he declined to openly criticise Dr. Ewart Brown, leader of the rebel group whose actions forced the resignation of former Premier Jennifer Smith. Dr. Brown, said Mr. Scott, should not be penalised for having been candid.

Mr. Scott was sworn in as the country's new leader by Governor Sir John Vereker in a ceremony at Government House yesterday afternoon.

He has chosen his new Cabinet and the team of ministers will be sworn in at Government House today.

Mr. Scott's accession to the hot seat had come as a surprise and followed a tumultuous chain of events. First came a PLP election victory last Thursday and within hours a mutiny that culminated in Mr. Scott being chosen as a new leader by a meeting of PLP delegates at Devonshire Recreation Club on Sunday night.

Speaking in the Cabinet Office shortly before he was sworn in yesterday, Premier Scott said: "It is a very daunting task but while I may lack some knowledge of the niceities, I bring to this post total commitment.

"It is a great responsibility. Many people have expressed confidence and I'm not going to let them down.

"We had a hiccup along the way after July 24 and I'm going to make it abundantly clear to all in Bermuda that now they have a responsive government in place and that the messages sent by the electorate have been heard.

"It was closer than I would have thought and that means that the voter wants us to take note of the issues that came to the fore in that election and all I would say to the voter is message stamped, message received."

Dr. Brown was elected Deputy Premier after his speech on Sunday in which he admitted that the rebels had misled everyone by appearing to be united behind Ms Smith, while they were actually plotting her downfall. He said "someone had to make a stand".

Asked if Dr. Brown had been right to say what he did, Mr. Scott said: "That's Dr. Brown's speech, that's Dr. Brown's position and I reserve any comment about that because my mandate is to move and look forward. I don't think it's helpful for me to cast my eyes back and get caught up in the motivations of an individual.

"Dr. Brown has chosen to be candid. We ask for folks to be candid and when they are candid, then we, if I listen to the Opposition Leader, choose to penalise them.

"I think whether one agrees with what was done or not, one must acknowledge, that in this case Dr. Brown was being candid. He didn't misrepresent himself."

Asked if the rebels had approached him to join their group before the election, Mr. Scott said: "No, I would never be seen by them as a potential candidate for anything of that nature."

Mr. Scott accused United Bermuda Party Leader Dr. Grant Gibbons of hypocrisy in his claim that the PLP's election victory had been "based on fraud and deceit", given what had happened since the vote.

"I just ask the honourable member to remember the whole origin of the UBP," said Premier Scott. "They went in as Independents, they formed themselves into the UBP and governed the country.

"They didn't go back to the electorate and say, 'We were elected as individuals, that's how we knocked on your door and how we campaigned, you put us in as Independents and we reacted to the formation of the PLP'.

"The thing is we could all look back if we wanted to and say that the populace had been misled by someone, somewhere."

Mr. Scott said the post of Premier was not one he had sought and he had been surprised to find himself in the role.

"I went into one meeting that I thought would just be caucus and I went along to another meeting, which was fine, but when I came out of that second meeting I was the party leader for the PLP.

"Then I knew I was in big trouble, because the next step was to be able to go the Governor and report that I could command a majority in the House.

"Today I think it will hit me, when they swear me in, that I went to two meetings too many!

"The advantage I have is that we have excellent civil service staff and they make the job manageable. I would be way over my head if I was to do it based on my knowledge of the post."

But he was well aware of the weighty responsibility of the job.

"If I can unite Bermuda as well as the party, my sojourn in this post will be worthwhile. This election has not been about Alex Scott, it's about the responsibility that the position of Premier represents.

"I hope to be able to bring honour to the post and the whole process. I don't want history to focus on the few days after July 24. Yes, it was politics, but I want to focus on the product of that event.

"Whether people liked it or not, it has produced something new and something that I think could be wholesome for all of us."

The PLP was divided right down the middle immediately after the election, but Premier Scott felt the wounds were healing fast - and he was getting support from all parts of the community.

"I think we're well down that road to unity," he said. "You had to be there on Sunday evening.

"Now my phone rings continually. There are pledges of support coming in from all sectors. I have a letter on my desk from someone who has publicly expressed his disaffection with the party in the past. He is now pledging to come and provide assistance and I'm going to listen very closely to him.

"I've had letters from the largest legal firms on the island expressing congratulations and they're not trying to tout for business. They're just saying, 'Premier, you've got a difficult job and we wish you well'.

"Bermudians are naturally good people. Yes, they hurt and they express their hurt when the occasion arises. I think that's what we saw. But if you provide them with the opportunity to have a healing experience - and that's what Sunday was - they put their hurt behind them. On Sunday, 400 or 500 members erupted when Dr. Brown and I stood before them.

"There are still people who will be saddened by the fact those events took place - I'm saddened that those events took place and I think that so are members of Dr. Brown's caucus.

"I think there are Bermudians who voted the PLP in and then saw those events who were saddened.

"Today, though, there is optimism and we will be able to look forward and not back.

"The coming together will come out of the hearts and minds of a wonderful people, Bermudians are extraordinary folks.

"I think I have an opportunity not only to unite the PLP, but, more significantly, to unite Bermuda. I have to demonstrate that the Alex Scott that has been floated across the front page of their newspapers and has talked in sound bites on the news for many years, may not be the Alex Scott who is Premier.

"Maybe the individual that has taken this post is someone who will be able to work with all of Bermuda in a way that will be beneficial to all of us."

He said his initial focus would be on the main social issues that were raised during during the election campaign.

"Housing, seniors, they are certainly issues the public want us to be cognisant of," said Mr. Scott. "And there is a great concern about criminal activity in the community.

"It did receive a lot of play in the campaign and I intend to appoint individuals who can help in addressing that.

"I know from my experience a few years ago as Shadow Minister for Labour, Home Affairs & Public Safety that in fact it's a small concentrated group who are causing criminal activity. I believe that if we can assist the police in focusing on the criminal element we can ferret it out where it exists."

Asked whether winning the premiership had been his ambition when he first ventured into politics, Mr. Scott said no.

"I first went into politics to assist my friend Fred Wade in public relations for the PLP," he said.

"I then got involved with the PLP organisation and served as public relations officer and I eventually became chairman.

"Then I did run on two occasions for the leadership of the PLP because at that time the parliamentary group did not feel they were fully represented. I was prepared to be their voice, to make sure they were heard.

"I think maybe that's the reason that now, after we ran into the hiccup of July 24, once again I was able to be the individual who could command support from all sectors, both the Parliamentary group and the party.

"I've been loyal to the party first and the party leadership second throughout my whole period in the PLP.

"While I didn't seek the post, I think I just happened to be the right individual at the right time to take on the responsibility."

Earlier this year, Premier Scott had an operation after he became ill. Question marks have been raised over whether his health is good enough to withstand the pressures of his new job.

Premier Scott was upbeat about his condition.

"I'm putting on weight. The surgery was on a prostrate condition but the surgery impacted on my kidneys," he said.

"Once that surgery took place all situations were reversed. I'm not going out and playing Cup Match, I wouldn't take the first ball. But if anyone can survive July 24 standing in the heat for the entire day - I always said that would be a test.

"The doctors have given me a clean bill of health and there's no health problem lurking in the near future.

"As far as energy levels go, I was up 5 a.m. this morning and I went down at 1 a.m. last evening. That's pretty standard fare for me. I'm back."