The Progressive Labour Party is not Bermuda's "black" party, according to the only white PLP candidate who ran in July's general election, Leopold Kuchler.

Instead, Mr. Kuchler emphasised, the party is a labour party which welcomes all people regardless of what gender or ethnic group they come from.

"People should not think I am Portuguese or I am white, but I am labour," he explained. "If they can identify themselves as labour, then they are labour and that's the platform. It's a very common objective."

However the perception of the PLP as a "black" party arose from a narrow view, he said.

"People get caught up in local, small-town politics, but in the economy we depend on global happenings."

Since September 11, the PLP Government has suffered "blow after blow" he said, including the economic fallout from 9/11, the Iraq war, and the final "blow" of Hurricane Fabian.

"So I was impressed by the excellent management of the PLP Government going through this extremely tough time," he said. "This Government really pulled through. I was impressed beyond any way I can express."

It was the PLP's handling of those issues that drew the Austrian-born Mr. Kuchler to the party.

"When I contemplated getting into politics they had a certain dynamic and intellectual representation that was attractive to me," he said.

And he was never made to feel an outsider to the party because of his race, he added: "Race is not an issue at all. I've been in Bermuda for 30 years and I have never experienced race as an issue.

"I've seen when people have an attitude.

"They will confront you and if you are totally open, unbiased, unprejudiced - if that's what your perception is - then that's what comes back to you.

"I don't want to sound like a preacher, but that's the way it is."

Often people act out of experiences they have had in their past, he added.

However, people have to be able to get around that. "You cannot be prejudiced against someone's experience."

When asked why there is the perception of the PLP as a so-called "black" party, Mr. Kuchler said he did not like the expression. "You can't look at it as black ... look at it as Progressive," he said.

"I have worked my entire life - this is a labour party and I am labour and so I can identify myself with labour."

Mr. Kuchler, who is still active in the party despite not winning his seat in Parliament in Constituency 23, added it is for that reason that anyone - including Anglo Saxons or people of Portuguese descent - can feel the party is approachable and welcoming. "The PLP welcomes labour."