The United Bermuda Party's choice for District 31, electoral newcomer Jon Brunson, said he will help provide “leadership” to the country if voters there elect him on July 24.

“The issues that affect people in Southampton West Central affect me too,” said the 42-year-old father of two, who lives in the area and has been canvassing for the last five months. “We are all part of a collective neighbourhood.”

Mr. Brunson, who grew up on Camp Hill, Southampton, and went to primary school at Heron Bay, has been involved in politics since his teens, and was one of the founding members of the UBP's youth branch.

When he was 16, he went to secondary school in Panama, which he said gave him a chance to experience real poverty and realise “how lucky we are in Bermuda”.

He graduated from Flagler College in Florida with a dual major in business management and computer science and has a Master's degree in human resource development and management.

His campaign focus is the issue of youth disaffection and he expressed a desire to see the existent youth programmes on the Island revitalised through new investment.

“I would like to see youth development centres right through the island, at all the different levels, from the recreational to the national sporting programme.”

Mr. Brunson, who lives on Seymour Farm Road and works as the human resources manager for Orbis Investment Management, said the shortage of affordable housing was “one of the main issues people raise, if not number one, because it touches everyone and it is plaguing this country.”

And he said: “Senior health care is another really big issue. My own mother is a retiree and she relies on the system to provide her with the necessities of life and its expensive. It is unfortunate that, at the time when people need the system most, it is inadequate.”

As to his reasons for running in the election, he said: “Politics for me is a personal thing. My motive is to put myself in a position where I can really affect change.”

Michael Scott will take his well of experience from five years in the Senate and his legal expertise to the House of Assembly should the people of District 31 vote him in.

The 53-year-old barrister, who grew up in Somerset and was schooled at Southampton Glebe and the Berkeley Institute, said the Progressive Labour Party Government had fulfilled many of its election promises but added it would take it more than five years to reach its potential.

He became a Senator following the PLP victory in 1998, after losing the old Southampton West constituency from incumbent David Dodwell by 130 votes. The near-victory was his third attempt to win what had come to be seen by political commentators as a relatively safe seat for the United Bermuda Party.

Sen. Scott, who has also served as junior minister for legislative affairs and the environment, sees youth violence as one of the key issues in the area and relayed how a constituent had told him while he was out canvassing that a series of recreational centres should be opened, with the aim of having them used at night.

“That touched me because this was a man who was actually coming up with a solution,” he said, while pointing out that other issues of concern he had encountered were seniors housing and immigration policies.

After being called to the Bermuda Bar in 1981 following training in London, Sen. Scott entered the law firm of Lois Browne-Evans, the current Attorney General who was then the PLP leader, and he now runs the firm alone.

He said he was particularly interested in continuing the Alternatives to Incarceration (ATI) scheme that was instituted by PLP in 2001 “so that we continue to turn our youngsters away from drugs”.

He added: “For those who are just caught up in criminal activity we simply have to reach out to them and try to understand what their reasons are. Sometimes it has to do with the fact that it comes from some kind of hurt in their youth experience. Young people need to understand that they have a stake in society.”