Come back Sir John

October 20, 2008

Dear Sir,

This is an open plea to Sir John Swan. There is open discussion and wishful thinking within the membership of the United Bermuda Party and those hopes and thoughts are that you will stand as a candidate for the UBP in the by-election in Southampton. Believe me when I say that there is strong support for your leadership.

Many of us are aware that there are hard feelings about the past and that your bride may shoot you if you run but, all that aside, this is too important to dwell on the past. There are three main reasons for your return to the arena of good governance:

1) The survival of the United Bermuda Party and more important, what it stands for, is on the line. The Party has run out of leaders and its viability as both a legitimate Opposition or a viable alternative Government is very, very doubtful. This is the Party which you led for 13 years and which is about to die without some dramatic and purposeful leadership.

2) Bermuda is suffering at the hands of the PLP. What you built over 13 years is being torn to shreds little by little. The removal of governance based on racial discrimination and injustice was the reason that you were successful in building a better Bermuda and if anybody can see that we are returning to the 'good old days', it should be you.

3) I hate to say this... but you owe it to Bermuda personally. You have been incredibly successful in many ways and no doubt a great deal of the reason for that success was your personal drive, ability and integrity. But Bermuda provided the arena and the opportunity for you and today you are the most admired businessman, statesman and, for many, Bermudian, of our times.

We are well aware that some will think this is a step backwards and that some MPs of the UBP will object but this Party is not founded for the exclusive benefit of its Parliamentary Representatives (although many of us think that many of them think just that!) and many of us can see no one who still has a vision of the future as clear and as fairly as you do.

The past is the past and the future is now. The Party and the system of fairness, justice and integrity which you built is about to go down the drain simply for a lack of leadership and the inability of its members to combat a legacy of discrimination with no regard for the great foundations laid by the members and founders of the United Bermuda Party. We implore you to return.

MEMBERS OF THE PARTY

City of Hamilton