Former Premier Sir John Swan has defended his damning attack on his own United Bermuda Party ? despite the fact it contradicts his own words before the election.

In yesterday?s Sir John said the party was run by a white elite and needed fundamental change to ever win power again.

He said: ?It has got to have the consent of the masses and have the perception of moral integrity. Bermuda has changed.

?Can it do it with the present structure of the UBP? That?s the $64,000 question.

?Can it do it under Grant Gibbons and under Barritt and under Dunkley or under Dodwell and people like that or does it need to bring on a new breed that will help it go through this process?

?The difficulty they have to face? If they discover the issue they need to deal with they might find it?s themselves.?

Sir John, who led Bermuda from 1982 to 1995, had been lined up to be chairman designate of the UBP?s proposed Economic Development and Tourism Authority.

Speaking to the Mid Ocean News just before the election he said: ?I have spent considerable time talking to Grant Gibbons and his colleagues.

?I have asked many questions and am satisfied the new UBP team genuinely and sincerely shares my vision of people coming together, celebrating our unique differences and capitalising on our various interests and expertise.

?I am therefore pleased to become part of the new UBP?s plans that are bold and inclusive ? plans that truly embrace all Bermudians to make Bermuda an even better place to live.?

On the same subject he told in July that he ?felt comfortable in embracing the new United Bermuda Party? and accepting the responsibility.

He said: ?I?ve seen the party go through change. I?ve watched Dr. Gibbons as he attempted to be far more embracing of the party.?

When asked about the contradiction yesterday Sir John said: ?You have to keep in mind the election makes a big difference, that?s what elections are all about.

?It?s about determining what you perceive to be the case, is the case in the eyes of the voter.

?There are those people who believe because we got a reasonable amount of votes from the public with the same amount of seats they came close to winning the election.

?The bottom line is the PLP were at their lowest since they were in government but we could not win the election.

?It needs re-evaluation. I didn?t say Grant Gibbons needed to be kicked out, everyone needs to be evaluated to make it more relevant to the voter.?

?Race politics are a reality whether we like it or not.?

However he said Bermuda?s problems were more cultural than racial with divisions between whites, blacks and Portuguese.

Pressed on his different views before and after the election Sir John said he believed Grant Gibbons was making every effort to do his best before the election but the formula hadn?t worked, even against a weakened PLP.

The UBP fought with 24 black candidates and 12 white candidates in the last election ? a two thirds/one third split.

But Sir John said: ?It is not a numbers game, it?s also about intellectual and moral capacity ? to be able to articulate what?s right and what needs to be done.?

Sir John also sought to clarify remarks he had made about the PLP?s work permit term limit policy which he said had been done responsibly.

He said the European Parliament was pressuring the British to pressure its colonies to grant rights to long term residents so the Government was forced to act to avoid burgeoning immigration. He said a United Bermuda Party Government would also have faced the same problem.