Campaigners for a referendum on Independence have taken heart from the UK?s announcement that it believes a referendum is the best way to decide on sovereignty.

But Premier Alex Scott and the Progressive Labour Party Government will not have given up hope that they can take the issue to a General Election, since Foreign Office junior minister Bill Rammell has left open the possibility that decisions on the best mechanism will be decided on a case by case basis.

Nonetheless, it would appear that the momentum is going away from the Government and towards those who favour a referendum.

They received some added ammunition from an unexpected source last week when the Prime Minister of Barbados, Owen Arthur, said Barbadians would vote in a referendum on whether to become a republic or to retain the Queen as head of state.

It?s worth looking at why both Mr. Arthur and Mr. Rammell feel referendums are a good idea.

Mr. Arthur said: ?In 1994, as one of the pledges made to the people of Barbados, this administration proclaimed that on a matter as fundamental as a change of our governance, such as would be involved in a move to a republican status, the opinion of the people shall be deliberately and specifically canvassed by way of a referendum.?

Mr. Rammell said: ?As the grant of Independence by the UK requires the prior approval of Parliament, the UK Government needs to be satisfied that, if a territory moves to Independence, it does so on the basis of the clearly and constitutionally expressed wish of the people. The move to Independence is a fundamental step. Increasingly in the UK, major constitutional issues of this kind are being put to a referendum. At this time, the presumption of the UK Government is that a referendum would be the way of testing opinion in those territories where Independence is an option.?

Clearly, both speakers view a referendum as the best way to ?deliberately and specifically canvass? the will of the people on steps as fundamental as republican status and Independence.

Mr. Scott noted on Monday that Mr. Rammell left the door open for a general election by saying that each Overseas Territory would be looked at ?on a case by case basis reflecting the uniqueness and individual characteristics of each territory?.

That was sensible of Mr. Rammell. There may be circumstances where a general election is the best vehicle. This could include a situation where both (or all) major parties favour Independence and the question for the voter is not whether to go to Independence, but to decide which party is best suited to lead the change and its aftermath.

It could also include a situation where one party is for Independence and the other is opposed.

Neither situation fits Bermuda; indeed, given that Bermuda has one party that wishes Independence and another that will not take a firm position, except to say that it will follow the wishes of the people, Bermuda is uniquely suited to a referendum.

Mr. Scott also floated the idea that the Island?s ?unique? approach to examining the Independence issue through a non-partisan commission would somehow assist the Government in making the case for a general election.

That does not add up. The Commission is supposed to determine the facts and its chairman has made it clear that it will not make a recommendation on a mechanism. It may be unique, but it should not add weight to a call for either a referendum or a general election.

When Mr. Scott opened the Independence debate last year, he rightly called for an open and free discussion. But one of the risks in doing that is that no one, including the Government, can retain control of the debate?s direction. Mr. Scott would have preferred to hash out the pros and cons of Independence first and to make a decision on the mechanism later. But the discussion has gotten away from him.

The vast majority of registered voters want a referendum. The British Government would prefer one. The Progressive Labour Party Government has not made a case for why a General Election is a better route.

Surely it would be better for the Government to give way on this point now and to start to make the case for Independence, which is, after all, the ultimate goal.

Not doing so will only add to the suspicion that the real and only reason the PLP wants a General Election is because it knows it cannot win a referendum.