Opposition Leader Wayne Furbert won over his fellow Parliamentarians on Wednesday night, thus upsetting many pundits? expectations that his handling of the departures of MP Jamahl Simmons and party chairwoman Gwyneth Rawlins would lead to his own exit.

Last night he moved to win over the public, who must have watched the UBP?s disarray with increasing confusion.

Last week, Mr. Furbert seemed to be in full denial mode, rejecting outright claims that racism existed within the UBP and essentially accusing Mr. Simmons and Ms Rawlins of living in another world.

By comparison, Shadow Home Affairs Minister Maxwell Burgess did better, saying that if people had that perception then that was their reality.

In his speech last night, Mr. Furbert seemed to acknowledge that, saying of his accusers: ?We differ on whether their observations are real or imaginary, but the fact that they believe what they say is tangible reason why I must re-double my efforts to change the way politicians go about their business in Bermuda.?

But he also rightly called on them to present real evidence of where they had been maligned instead of making vague allegations about unnamed individuals.

And he pledged that any people within the UBP found to be racist would be drummed out.

Whether this will be enough to satisfy both the UBP?s own core supporters and more importantly, the swing voters, remains to be seen.

But it would seem that Mr. Furbert and the UBP cannot assume that one speech will be enough to restore their credibility. That will require constant effort and outreach, and also demands that the party continues to recruit and appoint strong and respected officials and candidates, both black and white.

Last night, Mr. Furbert attempted to turn attention away from the UBP and on to the Government, in part by highlighting his own weaknesses, including public speaking.

He argued that he might not have as much charisma as Premier Dr. Ewart Brown, but he was a man who could be trusted and who would get things done in a way that has not happened under the Progressive Labour Party.

Attack is often the best form of defence and if Mr. Furbert?s weakness is in his delivery, then Dr. Brown?s concerns his trustworthiness and a history of saying one thing and doing another. And of course, the PLP has its own weaknesses when it comes to race, which Mr. Furbert highlighted.

If the UBP?s Achilles heel is the perception that it is controlled by a shadowy cabal of white establishment figures, then the PLP?s is that it will always pull out the race card when its back is against the wall, as Dr. Brown did in 2003 and at the end of 2006 when he attacked former leader Dr. Grant Gibbons.

So Mr. Furbert and the UBP may have some ground to gain in this way and by trying to turn the focus on the PLP. But it may not be enough, not least because the UBP?s current problems are of its own making, at least on the surface. Certainly, only the UBP can solve them.

As some commentators have already noted, Bermuda?s political parties are identified with race to such an extent that debates over roads or parks can become a racial issue. Until Bermuda deals with its racial legacy, then it seems that this is doomed to continue.

That?s a shame because the bitter truth is that racial issues are poisoning local politics and increasingly alienating voters and many who would like to contribute to the betterment of the whole community.