There is no question Bermuda will eventually become an independent, stand-alone nation ? but its people must first become independent in their own minds and nurture a true national identity and sense of one community.

That is the view of union chief Ed Ball, who believes Great Britain will not be able to hold on to any of its dwindling number of overseas territories.

In a wide-ranging interview with , the general secretary of the Bermuda Public Services Union has touched on topics ranging from Independence to what he perceives as a decline in moral standards and difficulties encountered by people living beyond their means to attain a desirable life-style.

And he says these social problems are being equally encountered in black and white households across the Island.

Mr. Ball also feels it is time for Government to build upwards and create multi-storey apartment blocks to provide affordable homes for those who have been priced out of the current housing market.

And he wonders if the time is now right to consider again the possibility of a road bridge linking Boaz Island with Spanish Point to alleviate traffic congestion on western routes, and also whether to make school buses the mandatory transport for students in order to cut school-run traffic.

Despite problems faced by the Island on a number of fronts, he sees hope in the way women in particular are getting ahead in life and providing supportive role models for their children.

?Women are leading the way. They are very focussed, they are determined and know what they want and they are getting the jobs and getting the jobs done,? he said.

?These women become role models to their children and nine times out of ten if they have very strong values in the household their children ? including the males ? will succeed.?

Likewise, Mr. Ball says churches that have a strong ethical base are helping to maintain Bermuda?s culture, as are ?those politicians who have not forgotten from where they came and represent the wishes of the electorate?.

He said: ?And I must give full kudos to the Bank of Butterfield and Capital G Bank for working with the Bermuda public to provide loans and assist with education of our children.

?I also applaud whole-heartedly those exempt companies and businesses that have trained Bermudians and are reaping the rewards of their investment.?

He said companies that give proper training, re-numeration and bonuses are helping to promote the professionalism and steadfastness of the Bermudian workforce.

The issue of Independence will be addressed in time, according to Mr. Ball, because the UK will be unable to hold on to its overseas territories as they break free and become their own nations.

But the people of Bermuda must also find their national identity and become ?one people together? if they are to know the true sense of independence.

This is an aspiration he saw amongst the population as he was growing up and now, in his 50s, it is something he believes remains an aspiration for many today.

But the union chief added: ?I no longer know what it means to be a Bermudian because the very people that I thought of as the solution have now become part of the problem in that we have forgotten where we have come from.

?Bermudian to me means you watched out for your neighbour, you ensured that your family members respect each other and the work ethic was to better everybody.

?The identity came from the pride that you took as a community,? he said. While that sense of community appears to be diminishing it does still exist, according to Mr. Ball, in places such as Somerset where he has seen whole communities come out to pay respect at funerals.

He added: ?We are growing apart. The whole issue of who we are as a people reflects the society. As soon as we appreciate that we are one people we then become independent.

At the moment we are dependent because we are divided from each other.

?Getting Independence is just a formality because the UK Government will not be able to hold on to any of its overseas territories. In preparedness for this the United Bermuda Party, the Progressive Labour Party and all groups have to decide what is in the best interests for all Bermudians rather than what is in the best interests of only some.?