Style over substance. Showy media presentations versus earnest endeavour. Unilateral action versus a consensual style of leadership.

These are the fault lines in the PLP?s leadership campaign claims Premier Alex Scott who, despite a blistering performance in front of enthusiastic party delegates last night, is refusing to predict tomorrow?s vote which could consign him to history or give him a fresh mandate to take his party into the next election.

Yesterday he sat down with The Royal Gazette to chew over the situation ahead of decision time on Friday night.

He said: ?There is nothing new in Dr. Brown?s vision. I hope his vision doesn?t lead to division in the party.

?Because his leadership challenge is borne out of ? and he said so himself ? Dr. Brown?s interest ever since a child of being leader of his country.

?The move for the change of leadership didn?t come from the party.?

The Premier said the difference between him and his former right-hand man was one of style.

?Dr. Brown does his in the media, I do mine in the central committee, I lead in the parliamentary caucus. I go to the Cabinet and develop a consensus.

?I don?t seek out the media, the media comes to us from time to time. It?s a different style.?

He said Dr. Brown?s style which has been ?described as presidential? had merits in that the public could see what he did.

But Mr. Scott said his own behind-the-scenes work was done without fanfare but to great effect.

He cited the example of the increased Police street presence since the shooting death of 18-year-old Jason Lightbourne who was gunned down on Ord Road in July.

More visible policing had seen a drop off in crime said Mr. Scott.

Asked why it had taken a murder to finally increase officers on the streets after years of public outcry Mr. Scott said: ?What we did is take over the direction of the Police service. The Government doesn?t have control over day to day operations of Police.?

So Mr. Scott said he had met with the Governor to agree to increase deployment.

?It required an exceptional event for me to taken an exceptional action ? the Government to begin to recommend how the Governor looks at his responsibilities. We work together.

?I am indebted to the Governor and the Police. But they had to be persuaded because there was a difference of opinion on whether we could afford the manpower, afford such a deployment.

?I make haste slowly. I am managing a Government and changing a system of Governance.?

Whereas Dr. Brown did things quickly, whether there was agreement or not, said Mr. Scott.

?But I will take my colleagues along with me, I take the country along with me.?

He said the Premier took the flak for problems at ministerial level ? something Dr. Brown would face if elected.

Asked about dismal polls, showing Dr. Brown leading public opinion by two to one, he quoted a Bermuda Omnibus Survey which showed he was less unpopular than he was.

However that third quarter poll still had 56 percent either completely or mostly dissatisfied.

?I can?t govern the country by polls. ?Fortunately Government is not about a popularity contest ? it is about commitment, integrity ? that?s what the delegates will use to decide.?

That vote by around 150 delegates and 27 parliamentarians tomorrow ?will either be a ratifying of my governance and policies over the past three years or his style and pomp, to put it that way, of a Dr. Brown administration.?

Dr. Brown has said he will walk away from politics if defeated. But Mr. Scott denied he will be relieved to be finally rid of the threat of another Dr. Brown challenge.

?This is democracy at work. You can?t be threatened by democracy.?

Asked if the country had to live with constant PLP division and leadership challenges Mr. Scott said it was right for the party to review its leadership every four years.

Pressed on whether there was perpetual split Mr. Scott said he had helped unite the party since taking over in 2003.

?Every party in the world supports a broad church. There are some differences of opinion in the party.

?I not only brought the party together but I have brought a degree of harmony. We don?t have riots like we have had in the past.

?We don?t have industrial action like we used to on an almost regular basis.?

The Premier, who at 66 is six years older than his challenger, gave glowing praise to his running mate Paula Cox, 47, but refused to say how long he would stay in the Premier?s post.

?I haven?t put a stop watch on it.?

Asked if he intended to remain after the next election he said: ?One day at a time.?

Mr. Scott confirmed he would stay on as an MP if he lost.

But if he wins he will next Friday deliver what he said will be ?the most comprehensive Throne Speech I have had a hand in. It takes further the sustainable development and the social agenda initiatives.

?It will make life better for Bermudians in very real ways.?

The platform will assist the average Bermudian do better.

?That means housing, education, training, security and safety in the island in which we live.?

But he again declined to give any clue on the method, but hinted a targeted approach.

?There will be specifics we will be able to enact immediately. The issue of poverty goes to the heart of the Bermudians being able to meet the rent and pay their bills.

?Bermudians finding it hard to make it look to their government for assistance. We are going to make a step in that direction.

?First we have to know who needs assistance and who doesn?t.? Asked if raising MPs salaries when people were hurting had been a tactical mistake given the anger from Bermudians struggling with high rents and grocery bills Mr. Scott said: ?I don?t know if it created resentment in the community or not.?

He said Bermuda trailed Caymans and other Caribbean Islands but it was important to raise salaries to attract a better quality of parliamentarians.

But he said poverty was relative. ?Someone deemed to be just making it in Bermuda would be doing extremely well in other countries. ?Many of our challenges come out of our success.?

Now the challenge was to spread that success and make life better for those on the poverty line, said Mr. Scott.