Premier Alex Scott's opening speech at the Progressive Labour Party's annual conference on Monday night expanded on his vision for Bermuda.

He may have been more influenced than he would like to admit by his attendance at the Labour Party conference in the UK, where Prime Minister Tony Blair continues to push the "third way" between outright conservatism and 1970s-style trade union militancy.

But Mr. Scott has been moving in this direction for some time. Without adopting more centrist policies the PLP would never have become the government in 1998, let alone been re-elected this year.

Mr. Scott called for unity not only in the PLP, where wounds from the July rebellion are still healing, but in the Country as a whole.

In some ways, calls for unity are standard political rhetoric, especially for a new leader. But Mr. Scott put some meat on the bones of his philosophy by seeking to make a clear differentiation between the PLP and the labour movement.

"... We must avoid the danger of replacing a white business oligarchy with a black labour oligarchy," he said. "To ensure that this does not happen, it is required that we abandon old tactics and adopt new strategies ? if we are not to lose our way on the road to the New Bermuda.

"... We as a party must not be as pre-occupied as we were with where someone has come from as we are interested and supportive as to where they want to go."

Earlier, he said the PLP must become a truly national party capable of representing a significant and diverse majority of Bermudians ? of all races, beliefs and cultures.

What does this mean? The PLP has traditionally been the political wing of the labour movement, and more particularly the political wing of the Island's most powerful union, the Bermuda Industrial Union.

This worked reasonably well in Opposition. Mr. Scott is admitting that it work less well in government, as the CableVision strike in the wake of Hurricane Fabian demonstrated only too well. Thousands of workers downed tools and the Government was virtually powerless to prevent it.

if Mr. Scott is truly intent on achieving a degree of separation from the labour movement (and he is clearly not seeking a clean break), then he needs to make alliances with other segments of the community.

This is not the only reason for Mr. Scott reaching out. There are broader issues involved. Bermuda is a divided community, not matter how peaceful it may seem to be on the surface. The PLP may bear some responsibility for these divisions, although it is not alone.

But Mr. Scott is right to try to make broader alliances and gain, if not voting support, then at least acceptance for the PLP's policies. The alternative is increased division and ugliness.

Bermuda's stability is too finely balanced to be able to risk outright division.

This week's speech was an encouraging step in that direction. But it was a speech that was long on words and short on actions. He described what the PLP must do, but not how it should do it. And in the end, it is deeds, not words that make a difference.

Tomorrow, Mr. Scott will have the chance to show how he plans to move from thought to action when the first Throne Speech of the "Scott Government" is delivered.

Whether it will be more of the same or whether it will signal a new direction for the PLP and Bermuda will depend on what policies and plans are put in place.