A staunch UBP supporter, Bermuda Independence Commissioner and Hotelier has slammed a UBP Minister?s comments concerning race relations made from the House of Assembly on Friday.

During a presentation at the Hamilton Rotary Club last week, Michael Winfield, in responding to a question from the media, expressed his puzzlement as to why he had not seen from the ?white leadership of the UBP? a response to the initiative recently announced by the Premier regarding black males.

In an interview with VSB on Friday, the Shadow Minister of Race Relations and Economic Opportunity, David Dodwell made comments about Mr. Winfield?s speech.

?While I recognise that Mr. Dodwell had not read my speech and was speaking from the privilege of the House floor, and that further, anyone making a public speech must anticipate response to that speech, I had hoped that any reaction would be made to comments I actually made,? he said.

In a letter to , Mr. Winfield said Mr. Dodwell suggested that he had accused the UBP of doing little about race relations over the years. ?Given my history as Government Leader in the Senate for the UBP and a Minister in that Government, such remarks would have been hypocritical,? he said.

Mr. Winfield said he was proud of his association and of the enormous amount that was accomplished for the community by that administration.

He said that he understood that the political process sometimes has politicians taking remarks from others as relayed to them by third parties who may be somewhat liberal with that interpretation of the conveyed remarks.

?But I would have expected a little more accuracy form such a respected member of the leadership of this country,? he said.

?I was very pleased by the unofficial feedback I received on my comments on both tourism and our current, and indeed historical, racial situation, but puzzled at the lack of any reaction from our leadership on any of the issues raised.?

He said the essential point he was making on race was that Bermudians, particularly whites in the community, had to acknowledge the huge injustices of the past if ?we are to ensure that our future is free of any vestiges of that history and that we live in a land that is truly open, free and equal for all?.

He said he trusted that this ?essential point? would not be lost on Mr. Dodwell or any of the country?s leadership.

Mr. Dodwell said yesterday that he did not want to prolong the spat any longer.

He said he did respond to a question from the media, but it had nothing to do with Mr. Winfield?s speech to Rotary and was not made on the House floor.

?Why is he saying this when we have spoken about race and black males? We tabled a motion on the importance of empowerment,? he said.

Mr. Dodwell said the UBP?s 40th anniversary focused on advocating diversity which was one of the mantras of the UBP 40 years ago.

In response to Mr. Winfield?s statement that Bermudians, particularly whites, had to acknowledge the huge injustices of the past, Mr. Dodwell said he had been saying just that for the past two years.

?Whites have got to feel comfortable in talking about race and interacting with blacks for us to progress on this matter,? he said.

Mr. Dodwell said he did not want to comment on this issue anymore and hoped his comments would put the issue to bed.