Dr. Ewart Brown continued to ride the wave of euphoria that swept him into the highest political office of the land and the public began to get a glimpse of his new leadership style and the new face of politics in Bermuda.

The mould problems at CedarBridge Academy went from bad to worse and the controversy surrounding the fundraising efforts of the PLP would simmer throughout the month only to explode weeks later in a way that would divide the public and force the community to debate the best way to discuss race relations in Bermuda.

On November 3 Premier Brown revealed the direction he wanted the country to take when details of the first Throne Speech under his administration were revealed for the first time at the convening of Parliament.

The Throne Speech included — among other things — plans to build 100 affordable homes in Ireland Island, a scheme to force employers to train Bermudians in order to qualify for work permits, a promise to have an ‘open, honest frank and sustained discussion on race,’ and a promise to refocus on the island’s “failing public education system”.

Within days however the United Bermuda Party attacked the Throne Speech as ‘containing nothing new’ and short on ‘substance and detail.’

Questions continued to be raised about the CedarBridge mould crisis. Reports began to surface that the school’s administrators ignored the severity of the situation for months when the problem could have been remedied during the summer holiday.

Then it was announced that most of the students, instead of being found classrooms elsewhere were being sent to various islands in Hamilton Harbour in the middle of their school term. That decision was quickly reversed however and the Education Ministry decided to use the old Berkley Institute building to hold the CedarBridge classes instead.

As the month progressed Government continued to struggle to put a positive face on the crisis. The executive director of the Center for School Mould Help in California claimed that the mould problems at CedarBridge were so severe that the building would need to be demolished. Education Minister Randolph Horton quickly dismissed this claim.

The Shadow Health Minister Louise Jackson added fuel to the fire when she demanded that anyone found responsible for ignoring the mould problems, which some teachers claimed were known by the school’s administration as far back as 2004 should be fired. Government finally announced that CedarBridge would not open until December.

Premier Ewart Brown began to put his stamp on his premiership and asked the Governor to consider alternating the venue of their weekly meetings. A request the Governor quickly turned down.

The issue of ‘pay to play” politics made headlines once again when the Premier announced that the PLP would accept funds from overseas supporters.

Former Premier Alex Scott then warned that the PLP could open itself to accusations of corruption if it accepted funds from foreign benefactors.

It was also revealed that Ed Ball Jr, the General Secretary of the Bermuda Public Services Union had written to then Premier Scott in October expressing concern about the fundraising efforts of the Premier’s wife, Wanda Brown, who had set up the T.H.E. charitable foundation to raise money to support certain tourism initiatives.

The Speaker of the House of Assembly prevented UBP MP Grant Gibbons from raising questions about the PLP’s fundraising efforts.

In the meantime, Premier Brown flew to London to attend the Overseas Territories Consultative Committee meetings.

There he threatened that Bermuda would boycott future OTCC meetings if Governors were allowed to attend and he challenged the Governor to take a more public role in matters pertaining to Policing in Bermuda.