To my fellow Bermudians, it is important that all Bermudians know and understand the United Bermuda Party (UBP), what we stand for philosophically, and what we intend to do for all of the Bermudian people should we form the next Government.

Most of what we will do when elected the Government will be in our 2007 manifesto, which will be presented to the people of Bermuda in due course. However we think it is important to reiterate to you some of the principles, philosophies, and dreams that bind us together in a multi-racial party serving a multi-racial community, a party that pledges to work hard for Bermuda both by deed and by example.

1. Philosophically, we believe in the sincere promotion of the economic, social, and safe well being of Bermuda generally and each Bermudian individually.

2. A fundamental principle of the UBP is the active promotion of harmony, tolerance, respect and equality of opportunity between the races. We recognise that more, much more, has to be done for the black Bermudian community and black Bermudian individuals, because it is that segment of our community that has been suppressed, post slavery, for many centuries. It is our commitment to change as many of the ill effects of that suppression that we can and to make right the wrongs of the past. We are very sensitive to the aspirations of black Bermudians. That is not to say we are not sensitive to the needs and aspirations of white Bermudians, we are, and we are especially concerned about the urgent needs of all of Bermuda's children both black and white.

3. We believe in a government that is connected to the people, an accessible, transparent government, one that consults with the people and is unafraid to listen to and adapt good ideas that the people suggest. The UBP is a strong proponent of participatory government and will provide legal vehicles such as environmental impact studies and referenda to cause the governmental processes to be more inclusive.

4. We believe the democratisation of our country should always be under review along with good governance rules and regulations. The UBP has stated on a number of occasions it will give priority to reviewing The Human Rights Act, the implementation of The Freedom of Information Act, a Whistle Blowers Act, and to amend The Parliamentary Election Act to include absentee balloting. We believe it is important to pass legislation to guide and improve the conduct of members of parliament, to increase accountability, transparency and the fiduciary responsibility of members of Government and Parliament to once again bolster the public confidence and trust in their elected members.

5. A very high and important priority for the UBP is education. We believe strongly in equal educational opportunities for all of Bermuda's children and adults. We will work hard to develop an educational system that will provide the best possible education whether at the primary, middle school, high school or college level. We will ensure that no child who qualifies will be deprived of a college or university education because of funding, and all children will be given the opportunity and help to qualify

6. We see a good education for all of our children not only as an enabler to help them compete and take advantage of jobs and opportunities in our Bermuda industries, but also to enable them to compete on the world stage in areas of their choice.

Our spokesperson for education Grant Gibbons has worked very hard putting together proposals, programs and policies to be discussed with you for the improvement of our educational system.

The United Bermuda Party, working together with the public and professionals, in the respective areas of health, education, housing, crime, the environment, sport and recreation, the economy, economic empowerment, (international business, tourism, finance,) wishes to promote and bring about a more humane, caring, and compassionate society: a society where people are safe and do not feel intimidated whether they are Bermudians, Bermudian residents or guest workers living in Bermuda. A society where our children can grow and reach their full potential, a society that is sensitive to Bermuda's challenged children and their families, and will supplement, build, and develop special programmes for our challenged children.

7. Our concern about crime and the safety of the Bermudian people and tourists is worth a special mention here. We are very, very concerned about the growth of drug related crimes in many of our neighbourhoods, and gang-related crime, and the lack of initiatives to combat this type of crime. We believe it is going to take specially developed programmes between the Police and our communities to reduce if not eliminate this type of crime. We will have more, much more, to say about this when we become the government.

As mentioned above, much of what we will do when we become the Government with your help, is contained in our manifesto, which will be presented to you in the near future. But here we wanted you to feel the spirit of the UBP, our hopes and dreams for the people of Bermuda, especially Bermuda's children and to allow us to enunciate some of the principles for which we stand. These are feelings that you cannot put into a platform but show the hard work, good management, and caring of the UBP and it's members, and what we would like to achieve for Bermuda.

Our candidates are presently out visiting you on the doorstep. They are a group made up of black and white, male and female dedicated Bermudians who pledge to work hard to bring about a better and more secure Bermuda for us all. So welcome them in and tell them how you feel about our country. They want to build a relationship with you that will produce a better, happier, safer, and more prosperous Bermuda.

If you wish to talk more and find out more about the UBP please call me, or our leader Michael Dunkley, our deputy leader Ms. Pat Gordon-Pamplin, Shawn Crockwell our chairman or any of our candidates and members in the constituencies. Make it a point to go out and join up in the constituency in which you live to help with this important work.

Thank you for reading this, I hope you now feel and understand the sensitivity, sincerity, and commitment of the UBP to the people of Bermuda a little bit better. We ask for your help when an election is called so that we can form the next Government and together we can make Bermuda a much better place in which to live.

Quinton Edness was a United Bermuda Party MP in Warwick West between 1968 and 1980 and 1983 and 1998, and was a Cabinet Minister for most of that time.