The Premier claimed that a United Bermuda Party Government could mean a return to the days of the “40 Thieves”.

Dr. Ewart Brown was a guest speaker on HOTT 107.5 last night when he was asked by radio host Jamel Hartman if a UBP Government would mean a return to the days of the “40 Thieves”, a small but powerful white oligarchy.

He said: “I believe that there would be an attempt.

“I believe that there would be a resistance to it, but people do what they have always done.

“People have a vision and a method and a methodology and that’s what they do.

“That’s just how it is, some people just have natural inclinations to govern a certain way.

“When my party became the governing party we began to dismantle certain things that Bermuda had gone through, lived through and we are still in that process of dismantling.”

And appearing to take a swipe at UBP Leader Michael Dunkley he said: “I don’t know.

“I will let the UBP tell you what they would do.

“But I know one thing is that there have been many discussions about whether this is the new UBP or the old UBP, but I think under the current leadership of that party what you are going to see is the real UBP.”

Dr. Brown was also asked if he believed he contributed to the racial divide, as some of his detractors claim.

“Absolutely not,” he said. “I have contributed to the discussion about the divide that I found at birth. I was born into a racial divide and Bermuda has been divided racially.

“My position, which of course has been misunderstood by many, is that I do not think we gain anything by shying away from the discussion — what we call the Big Conversation.

“My position has been, ‘look Bermuda we have a race problem, just like the rest of the world has a race problem, and let us confront it and let us do what we can do to improve race relations’. Some people think that the discussion of the race problem equals an aggravation of the racial divide, they have come to the conclusion that I am contributing to it.”

“We must have the conversation. We owe it to ourselves and we owe it to the future.

And Dr. Brown denied that he was arrogant and said many confused articulation with arrogance.

“It is not my intention to come across arrogant, of course sometimes for a black man confidence and articulate expression equals arrogance.

“I don’t think I am arrogant. I do believe in what I believe in and I am fairly straightforward about it and, you know, I was just taught to stand up and speak my mind.

“Arrogance is defined as a lack of sensitivity and aloofness. I don’t see myself that way and the people I work with and spend time with me don’t see me that way.”

He was also questioned about his method of doing things, with Mr. Hartman telling him that while many people supported him they did not like they way he operated — in particular with the closure of the medical clinic.

And Dr. Brown said: “There are different ways to skin a cat. There are different approaches to the same issue.

“I will admit that I was not blessed with a great deal of patience and I am particularly impatient with things like that indigent clinic which shouldn’t have existed in the first place

“It’s a part of our history that I am not proud of and as leader of our country I have to, at times, lead from the front. I have to say to people ‘we don’t need a committee on this’ just like we don’t need a committee on whether we treat cancer patients.

“I will admit I don’t waste a lot of time going over things that we have been talking about for generations.”

Dr. Brown, who left for the Overseas Territory Meeting in Cayman today, has made efforts to reach out to the youth of Bermuda since he became leader of the country in November. He has gone on college tours, joined an online community popular with the Island’s youth.

Going on Mr. Hartman’s show Hott on the Streets was another attempt. On Friday Dr. Brown will answer more questions at a “Open Mic” meeting geared towards the youth, being held at Greg’s Steak House from 6.15 till 8.15.

Next week Opposition Leader Michael Dunkley will be on Hott on the Streets to answer questions.