The end, when it came, was humiliating.

An emotional resignation speech tinged with bitterness, a hasty exit complete with the usual shunning of the Press and then Jennifer Smith was off into the night, accompanied by the ever-present David Burch.

While her party colleagues inside Devonshire Recreation Club breathed sighs of relief and came together in unity, the woman who had lead them to two election victories had proved expendable.

So it was third time lucky for the man who had twice took her on for the leadership and lost - Alex Scott.

But Mr. Scott would be the first to recognise her qualities. In a profile on Ms Smith in RG Magazine last year Mr. Scott credited her with being a moderate who was able to build a rapport with the white community.

Her interest in arts and business forged contacts made for what he described as a seamless transition from the UBP government.

She had worked hard to get there. From a humble beginning as the daughter of a barman she gave up ambitions to be an artist and joined the Bermuda Recorder newspaper.

Next stop was Alex Scott's ad agency. But politics were always in her blood.

At 25 she was the youngest person to contest an election in Bermuda, fighting in her home town of St. George's.

She plugged away at each election until finally triumphing in 1989. By 1994 she had been elected deputy leader and two years later won the leadership after Freddie Wade's death.

Then came the momentous triumph of 1998 when she took the PLP to its first ever victory.

While supporters rejoiced, the campaign showed signs of an autocratic style which would eventually lead to this weekend's implosion.

Her tenure was notable for its quiet conservatism and accommodation with the business community as the PLP worked its way through its platform.

But grumblings grew as colleagues felt shunned as she huddled with her personal clique.

She easily fought off Arthur Hodgson's challenge in 2000 but trouble was never far away.

An attempted no-confidence in summer, 2002 by MPs was tied and feathers were smoothed by a short-lived promise to be more inclusive.

A challenge failed to materialise at the party AGM in November as the party geared itself for the election but the knives were sharpened.

Much was made of the UBP's narrow defeat in Thursday' election but in two seats the PLP might have been the victors under a more popular leader.

Admired by many with her dogged determination to win a seat in St. George's it was ironic that her narrow eight-vote victory on Thursday finally triggered the plot to remove her as half her cabinet and backbench deserted her in a well planned coup.

Party activist Rolfe Commissiong said polls had shown people had wanted the PLP but not Ms Smith.

“Her result down there served as a mini-referendum. I think the majority of people in the country will be satisfied about what we have come up with and now we can move forward.”

Asked why the PLP hadn't acted before now and rather than waiting until the election was won Randy Horton said: “Sometimes you have to make tough decisions. I have no idea why this wasn't done before the election.

“We listened to the people we canvassed on the door steps. Up until then we didn't really know, we had perceptions.”

Asked why the voters didn't like her, Mr. Horton said: “I think it was a question of the whole party itself not getting information out.”

He said the PLP MPs caucus had also been shut out.

“I think Jennifer Smith did a fine job in her time and it was time to move on. Even though it was tough and we aired a lot of bad air in here tonight.”

Dennis Lister said last night: “We recognise the role she has played. History can never be taken away from her.

“She was the leader that led us to government. She was the leader who led us to single seats.

“But again it was all about what would take us forward.”

He said her resignation speech had been a bitter-sweet experience. “It was moving but it was timely for where we are at this point in time.”

Some might feel the electorate had been conned by voting for a Smith Government only to see her ditched days later.

But Paula Cox disagreed. She said: “I think what they got was a PLP government and I think the electorate would have felt that we betrayed their trust if we had let it go up in smoke.

“What you found is the parliamentary group and the delegates got together and dealt with the issue so people have got what they bought which was a PLP government.”

Either way the woman who had twice led the PLP to the promised land was now heading for the political wilderness.

Although Dennis Lister said if she could swallow her pride there was no reason Ms Smith shouldn't continue in Government.

But after being so cruelly spurned, that might be just too much to stomach.