The election of 2007 has come and gone, with another PLP victory. While I am the first to say that the extent of the victory was a surprise to most, including myself, it is understandable when we look at the campaigns that were run by both parties, and the media.

Firstly, the PLP set out to win the election by any means necessary. The objective of political parties is to win elections, to get the people out to the polls to vote for them. Political parties understand this very well. The UBP did the same while claiming to take the high road. The truth is that neither party took the high road. Sadly, Bermuda's history calls for a reality check around race, whenever politics, elections, and Parliament is broached.

Let's do a reality check on politics in Bermuda.

First of all, it is all about race. Why is anyone surprised by the obvious? Our society historically was separated according to the colour of one's skin, and nothing has been done in a very real way to change that. We have a polite coexistence, but if race is challenged, the majority of whites and blacks retreat to their own corners and support their own. Most blacks in Bermuda do not trust whites, and whites, in the main, do not trust blacks. That is a sad state for a country in 2008, particularly, with all the challenges facing us, and the world, global warming, and the pending threat to Island nations, like Bermuda.

When Michael Dunkley was selected as leader of the UBP, I gave a speech in Parliament indicating that his Party had just guaranteed the PLP the next election. A white man leading a political party in a racially polarised Bermuda with a black majority cannot expect to win. What part of that does the UBP, and the white-led media, not understand? Blacks are more aware, educated, and more travelled than in the days of Sir Henry Tucker, and Jack Sharpe. Blacks fundamentally believe that whites do not trust them. Most whites will deny that history and practice of white privilege brought about a belief of superiority in their interaction with blacks. Personally, I have been betrayed by both black and white people. I love both my black friends , white friends and family. However, I have lived through and understand the plight of my people, my black Bermudian people. I also understand the denial, and recognise the white privilege when it comes into play in my white Bermudian people. I understand both on a personal, cultural and political level, all to well, how Bermuda functions.

The UBP, particularly, Michael Dunkley, spent most of the last four years of Parliamentary session, and before 2003, announcing how corrupt the PLP Government is. It did not work in 2003 despite the accusations then, and it did not work in 2007. The fact that there was no proof of corruption made no difference to the UBP or their election advisors. They spend more time in Parliament and in the media claiming a corrupt Government, rather than using the opportunity to tell the country what they would do if elected. The media printed pages, and pages, of stories based on no substance or fact except a "he said, she said" police report. Michael Dunkley never understood the danger he would face at the polls because of his constant attack on PLP leaders for corruption, when no one was ever proven to be.

I need to remind the public that it was my PLP Government (I was in the Cabinet then) who made the decision, and paid millions of dollars on the investigation by Scotland Yard etc. in to the Bermuda Housing Corporation. We did not shy away from that decision; we had nothing to hide. Premier Jennifer Smith, Ewart Brown, Nelson Bascome, Arthur Hodgson, and myself, all of whom are mentioned in their report, were five of the 12 Ministers who agreed to the investigation.

One of the world's best known investigators, Scotland Yard, found no corruption linking Government Ministers or Parliamentarians, but Michael Dunkley, and The Royal Gazette and the Mid-Ocean in particular, wrote on and on about implications of corruption within our Government. They wrote about people, like myself, who never had any dealings with the Bermuda Housing Corporation whatsoever. A " he said, she said" report became a weapon to bring done the Government. Say or write anything about a black leader, and it must be true became the theme. Don't allow the fact that there was no proof, or truth, of corruption get in the way of a good story.

We were accused by Harold Darrell, who himself, confronted me both publicly and privately with threats of getting the f...ing PLP. Why he was never given a lie detector test before so much of his trash produced a massive Police report is a mystery to many of us. Mr. Dennis, the Auditor General, recently admitted that Mr. Darrell visits his office "about once a week", and that they have been "friends for years". Clearly that revelation did more that raise a few eyebrows, and sent people running to the polls to vote PLP. The perception of a conspiracy was evident, and suspicion ran amok. In any case, the people of Harold Darrell's constituency told us all what they think of the "Son of the Soil" through the 24 votes they mustered up for him.

I dare to say the 99 percent of the voters who did not vote for Mr. Darrell are reflective of what most of the black population feel about him. He is clearly a misguided individual with a personal agenda. I bore his wrath for not granting him a telecommunications licence as recommended by then Telecommunications Commission. He let me know in no uncertain terms that he "would get me". I can assure all that the lies in that police report referring to me did not "get me". Mr. Darrell accusations about me and others in the PLP added to the PLP's victory.

The PLP can also thank The Royal Gazette and the Mid-Ocean News for increasing its votes at the polls. The Editors of these newspapers, in particular, have not understood that you can attack a black leader or leaders once or twice; it makes for exciting reading and gossip.

However, to continually bombard readers with attacks on blacks leaders in a black majority country is seen as disrespectful of black leadership by these whites, and blacks at large. Their stories will eventually be viewed as racist. Unfortunately, for them, their white privilege does not give them pause to see how black view them, or even try to understand it. The tone of the articles, the choice of words makes it clear to blacks that they have no respect for them. Also, to constantly quote a foreign prosecutor who is quoted as saying that Ministers acted "unethically" without explaining what he meant, who or what he was referring to, also vexed black Bermudians.

Had this prosecutor been in many other countries, his opinion would have had him sent home, but in the Bermuda the Government is "nice". Who determines, and how does this judge define "unethical" is anyone's guess. The term itself is subjective, and would thus warrant an explanation.

How are people continually portrayed as corrupt when it has never been proven? Why is it a given to the media that they must be corrupt, and if not, why continue to publish unproven accusations? What was their agenda? What evidence is there that these accusations were based on, other than their inherent views of black people? These are questions that the media, and the Michael Dunkleys of Bermuda, must come to terms with in understanding why the PLP not only won the election, but increased it percentage of the vote.

One thing that is clear to all blacks, UBP or PLP supporters, if all of us mentioned that report were white, perhaps it would have seen the light of day for a brief moment, but white folks would not have had to endure what we blacks have. Personally, despite my speaking to Editor of The Royal Gazette, Bill Zuill, on more that one occasion regarding the mention of my name, and my informing him of the fact that I have never dealt with the Bermuda Housing Corporation, it made no difference to him. My revelation that I had never interacted with anyone at The Bermuda Housing Corporation, through a house renovation or "getting business for Zane Desilva" made no difference. The truth made no difference to the editor. Someone made a story up about me, it got into a Police report. It was news. The truth did not matter.

I heard about my inclusion in the investigation for the first time when it was published in the Mid-Ocean. Putting one's integrity into question, upsetting family members, and friends, tainting one's reputation is of no importance when you are black in the white-controlled media in Bermuda. Again, the PLP has much to thank the Royal Gazette, and the Mid-Ocean, for in guaranteeing our victory.

Until the media, and the Michael Dunkley group, try to understand what blacks in Bermuda, in the past, and currently go through on a daily basis in their country, the PLP will continue to win for a very long time. The media's display of inherent racist beliefs will assure us of victory. The PLP will only have to play into it, and remind the people of what is going on in the media. The PLP has gone through it since its inception, and the public knows it.

The election campaign was as ugly and nasty as only a racially polarised Bermuda can produce. Yes it is a shame that in 2008, we are still so racially divided. Yes, many of us want that to change, but until truth is recognised for what it is, we will stay racially divided while being "nice" to each other.

While I have publicly expressed my concern with the Premier's leadership style, I must state unequivocally that I am glad that the PLP has been returned to office. The public has spoken, he has their support and confidence. I honour their support for the PLP, the Leader, and the Party. I respect their choice, support their choice and respect the office that the Premier holds. He, the Party, and the Government must now continue to serve the people well who have put their trust, once again, in them.

I do not know if racial healing will take place very soon in Bermuda. Michael Dunkley does not understand why he lost the election, and it remains to be seen if the Premier will extend an olive branch to the white community. The Big Conversation has been a great start. I do think the Government will eventually try to bring about a healing in our society, but it will not be a priority. Fixing the many problems in the black community, education, housing and the like will be the Government's priorities, as it should be. Bermuda has much healing to do. This election above all else should make us realise how much separation there is between the races. It should be a serious wake up call us all. No matter how much the UBP want to declare otherwise, they are seen as a white party. Unfortunately, often time for them, they come off as one. The PLP makes no apologies for being the Party of the black majority, it has served the Party well.

There is hope on the horizon, it however, has not revealed itself yet. Stay tuned, 2008 could be a better year on the racial front, but if not, the Island as we know it, will never be the same. Depending on where you sit on the fence, that is not a bad thing.

Renee Webb was a Progressive Labour Party MP from 1993 until Tuesday's general election and was a Cabinet Minister hollding the portfolios of Telecommunications and Tourism from 1998 until 2005. She can be e-mailed at rwebb[AT]myhome.bm

Editor's note: Ms Webb's reference to her being named in newspaper reports concerned this newspaper's coverage of Government's legal attempts to prevent further publication of documents from the Police dossier on the Bermuda Housing Corporation published by the Mid Ocean News. A brief statement naming the Ministers investigated by Police was incluided in the coverage. It was never suggested they were guilty of any offence.