Opposition leader Wayne Furbert has revealed he nearly quit during the messy recriminations following several high-level resignations in the United Bermuda Party.

Pressure had been mounting following the damaging departures of MP Jamahl Simmons and party chairwoman Gwyneth Rawlins who alleged a white clique was covertly running the party.

And last week the United Bermuda Party?s senior parliamentarian Maxwell Burgess called on Mr. Furbert to resign after attacking his handling of internal party splits. But Mr. Furbert was backed by colleagues on Wednesday night.

And in a televised speech last night Mr. Furbert thanked the public for support given to him and his family during ?the past four tumultuous weeks of our political journey?.

He added: ?There were times when we discussed, seriously, the option of walking away from the pressures of office. But then I looked to the heavens from whence cometh my strength.?

And he urged his accusers to come up with evidence or shut up. He said: ?I take note of the wild accusations of racism levelled against my party.

?I challenge the accusers! I say to them ? supply tangible evidence and I will deal with the offenders.

?I know my candidates and I can vouch for each of them. I do not know any of them to be racist.

?But, if anyone knows of any incident where the finger of racism or bigotry can deservedly be pointed at any candidate of the United Bermuda Party I invite him or her to share publicly that experience or information and I will deal with it.

?No person against whom the finger of racism can justifiably be pointed will run as a candidate under my leadership. I give the country that assurance.

?No person, against whom the finger of racism or bigotry can, with good reason, be pointed, will serve in any capacity in a United Bermuda Party Government.?

But he challenged the accusers: ?If you cannot advance any evidence, if you cannot share with this country a single example of you or anyone being discriminated against by any official of the United Bermuda Party, on the basis of colour or creed, then do the right thing put up or shut up.

?I will not tolerate the continuous maligning of this party or its members.

?The charge of racism was used, with much success, as a weapon against the United Bermuda Party in 1998 and again in the 2003 elections. It will not succeed on this occasion.?

He said the UBP would fight the next election on policies.

Mr. Furbert acknowledged he didn?t have the charisma or eloquence of Premier Ewart Brown.

But, as he pledged to boost housing, health care, help for seniors and housing, he said: ?I believe Bermudians have had their fair share of pretty speeches.

?We have had nine years of sound bites, but precious little action.?

He said if he were Premier social problems would be tackled in a more aggressive manner.

?If I were Premier of Bermuda today, or indeed, if I were a Minister of Government for the past nine years, I would have seen to it that affordable houses were built and made available to working Bermudians.

?I would not still be talking about housing as a challenge. I would have tackled and resolved it long ago.

?As Premier, I could not sleep comfortably knowing that some seniors were going to sleep hungry and under inadequate shelter.?