A CHALLENGE to Ewart Brown's leadership of the PLP is imminent, according to a delegate of this week's conference, and is certain to take place over the next few months if not days.

A Progressive Labour Party delegate and political insider spoke to the Mid-Ocean News on a break from the conference, attacking Dr. Brown for a "self-serving" speech to the party and denouncing his closest ally, former Pembroke South West candidate Laverne Furbert, as "compromised".

The PLP source added that the grassroots membership of the party ¿ many of whom are delegates themselves ¿ feel "helpless" and "disgusted" by Dr. Brown's "charades".

"The grassroots are just interested in some stability ¿ they don't think Dr. Brown represents that," said the delegate.

"Some think otherwise. Will there be a leadership challenge at all? It will be last minute, considering those who have pretensions to leadership, like Paula Cox.

"One or two of the Ministers have called me and said they want a change. They can't be named for fear of their position, for fear of being vilified. The grassroots, many of whom are the delegates, stridently want a change.

"If the challenge doesn't happen during the conference, I can see one in between three and six months' time. Progressively, more people are disgusted and disheartened. Some are standing up, but it's gradual. The grassroots feel helpless."

The PLP insider added that it is not just Dr. Brown facing intense scrutiny from grassroots PLP members but his Ministers.

"They're looking more at the leadership as opposed to the leader," said the source.

"Even though they're aware that many high up in the party and Government are disappointed, they see them as not having stepped up. They're looking at them closely. In removing the leader they don't want disintegration among the leadership.

"This is a sifting-out process. It is felt among the higher ups that if there would've been a challenge it should have been announced two weeks ago, to galvanise support and forestall the self-serving speech Dr. Brown gave on Wednesday night."

The PLP delegate denounced the Premier's speech at the conference as a good indicator that Dr. Brown is not the man to heal rifts in the party.

"That speech was basically all about him and not his vision for the party in detail," the source said.

"He used the entire opportunity to defend himself as opposed to laying out the way forward for the party and Government. It was to some quite reminiscent of what he did pre-General Election at the Southampton Princess.

"He defended himself, versus laying out a detailed plan. How is he going to heal rifts ¿ and there are rifts ¿ in the party?

"We want reform and democratisation ¿ we want to move the Government forward. He squandered that opportunity with a self-serving speech."

The PLP insider also hit out at Laverne Furbert, one of Dr. Brown's main allies, who came to the defence of the Premier in the media this week. The source wondered why labour activist Ms Furbert had not spoken out after Minister of Tourism Dr. Brown closed his Ministry's New York office, meaning a loss of jobs for Bermudians.

"She is his cousin," the delegate said.

"She also depends very much on the perpetuity of his Premiership. She's generally thought as reacting in a knee-jerk fashion. She is a blind follower of Ewart Brown as opposed to the PLP. As a defender of workers, she was very mute when the New York office of the Department of Tourism was unceremoniously turfed out. She took no position in defense of the workers. She is compromised in that way."

The PLP delegate feels it is the workers that are suffering most under Dr. Brown's continued leadership.

"The workers ¿ like the truckers this week ¿ are dissatisfied, despite the charades on Wednesday night at the conference, when the Premier had small business owners parading across the stage," the source said.

"It is all stage-managed. With him, every move is choreographed.I've had many calls from the grassroots basically saying they are not pleased. The challenge is imminent, whether it is this week or in three months. Things are on the perpetual boil. The waters have not been calmed by Dr. Brown's speech."