Attorney Mark Pettingill yesterday confirmed he was re-entering the political fray to stand as a United Bermuda Party candidate in the next election.

The former Opposition Senator will replace Neville Darrell, who will continue as MP and Shadow Education Minister until an election is called, but is not seeking to retain his Warwick West seat for health reasons.

Moments after his comeback was announced yesterday, defence lawyer Mr. Pettingill stated Government would "try and save their skin" by polarising the country on race in the next election.

"You have had a Government that has been intent on polarising this country for eight years. I'm personally tired of the rhetoric of that polarisation," he said.

"We have to move forward together as one people. I can't change what's happened in the past. I can regret it and be sad about it, as I have been. But my direction is forward and I believe the direction of this country is forward. I guarantee you that the Government is going to try and save their skin by polarising this country again and I for one am not prepared to have that." He said he was confident the people of Warwick, and Bermuda, echoed his thoughts.

Mr. Pettingill also said he thought that replacing a black candidate with a white candidate was "not going to make any difference" to voters in the Warwick West seat he will be contesting.

And he said that he had no problem communicating with young black men in his constituency.

"Communication has never been a problem for me," he stated. "My ability to cross lines, whether they be religious, racial or ethnic, has never been a problem for me."

Voters were telling him that the only black men who have "done well" under the current Government were sitting MPs, he added.

Mr. Pettingill is no stranger to election campaigns.

He tasted defeat when he lost one of the toughest battles of the 2003 election, by just 38 votes, against the Progressive Labour Party's Dale Butler in Warwick North East.

Shadow Education Minister Mr. Darrell will continue serving Warwick West seat until the next election, it was confirmed yesterday. He will then step down due to ill health, UBP Leader Wayne Furbert told reporters, and Mr. Pettingill will fight the PLP for the constituency.

The outgoing MP last night described his successor as an "outstanding candidate" and said he had every confidence Mr. Pettingill would be voted in.

Mr. Darrell said a back injury caused by a motorcycle crash two years ago meant that he would not be fully mobile when canvassing started for the election. "The wise thing to do is to step aside and let my body heal," he told adding that "healing is on target".

He said his constituency was large and that he would struggle up hills and on uneven surfaces, as well as getting in and out of his car, on the campaign trail. But he stressed the ballot could be 18 months away, leaving him with a lengthy period still to serve as MP.

He said his condition was brought to the attention of Mr. Furbert several months ago.

Letters have been sent to constituents telling them of his decision to step aside when an election is called due to his lack of mobility.

Mr. Darrell, who had major surgery on his lower back in October 2004, suggested he would revisit his political future as his back improved.

Opposition Leader Mr. Furbert yesterday said that Mr. Darrell would be missed when he stepped down.

"I encouraged him to run in 2003," he said. "He has been an excellent debater over the years."

The Opposition Leader said Mr. Darrell had a "passion" for his education portfolio.

Meanwhile, Mr. Pettingill revealed that he had spent a long time thinking about his return to the political arena.

He said that Mr. Furbert, whom he praised as a "potentially great leader", had warned him not to get lost in the "wilderness" too long.

The attorney, a former head boy at Warwick Academy, told reporters he wanted to take on a role in the party in an area that he was comfortable ? drawing on his experience of the criminal justice system at localised and national levels.

Mr. Furbert said his newest candidate had helped draft his recent crime strategy, unveiled last week. He later repeated his pledge to step down from politics completely if his party failed to deliver its election promises in Government.

"We will make things happen in Bermuda that have not been seen before," he added, before hitting out at the PLP's housing policy.

Asked what he would do differently in a bid to avoid a repeat of his 2003 defeat, Mr. Pettingill replied: "It will be for the people of this country to look at the evidence to see what's happening in this country and what the best way forward is."

He denied the seat he would be contesting ? in a racially mixed, economically diverse constituency ? could be classed as "safe". Mr. Darrell, a former civil servant and ex-Human Rights Commission executive officer, got the better of union chief Chris Furbert in Warwick West three years ago. He picked up 516 votes against Mr. Furbert's 346.

Mr. Darrell joined the UBP in January 2002. Only a few weeks later, he was appointed Senator following the resignation of the man who is now set to succeed him as constituency candidate ? Mark Pettingill. Reacting to the news that Mr. Darrell plans to step down, Progressive Labour Party spokesman Scott Simmons paid tribute to him.

"Any public servant who is seen to be both serving this community and vigorously defending the position of his party in the manner that the Shadow Minister has, is (providing) a service the PLP believes is worthy of note," he said.

"We join the community in praying to God for the Shadow Minister's prompt return to good health and we will, as a party, continue to give his words and actions, inside and outside the House of Assembly, due consideration as he prepares to move on to the twilight of his career."

However, making the point that assisting young black males in the community is "the responsibility of us all", he said in relation to Mr. Pettingill: "The PLP suggests that the UBP-adopted candidate who should take a page out of the Shadow Minister's handbook, exercise a measure of humility and respect for a segment of our community he knows very little about, and demonstrate understanding for those who have been on the front line of this difficult issue."