The hurt, bloodshot eyes said it all – Michael Dunkley has been up most of the night talking chewing over the bitter shock of losing an election, his seat in Parliament and the leadership of his party in one crushing blow.

And while he hasn't shed a tear, his family shed plenty in a fraught night when they needed him to lean on.

"While I took this personally, they took it a lot harder. They needed a shoulder to lean on throughout the night. In spite of me needing a good night's rest, that didn't really happen."

His audacious bid to snatch Smith's North from sitting PLP Patrice Minors had caused some sleepless nights in the Government camp which led to them pulling out all the stops. But in turn he never really thought he would lose if he put in enough effort.

A string of PLP top brass had swung by the poll including the Premier and Deputy Premier.

But when he was only ahead by three at the first count, doubts set in. As his own world came crashing around him he had to stay strong for supporters and candidates experiencing mixed emotions as the party's two gains were then wiped out by two loses.

Known for his straight answers, Mr. Dunkley uncharacteristically isn't yet ready to say whether he will stay in politics, although UBP colleagues are already calling for him to go into the Senate.

"My family took the loss harder than me and they are disillusioned with the political process. They thought I was the best man for the job. They don't understand what happened. If I am going to move forward in politics I will need them to heal. I am going to need support too."

It will need a Christmas heart-to-heart with family and friends.

"I have been overcome with calls of best wishes and people asking me to stay to the wicket. The phones started last night and haven't stopped ringing. It was ringing at three and four o'clock this morning and it started again at 6.45 a.m. It's been going all day."

Indeed, it kept going during Mr. Dunkley's interview with The Royal Gazette yesterday at his Devonshire home.

He said the Government had won the election, not by talking about its own agenda, but by pulling the UBP's apart.

"They were very effective in doing that. I am pleased to say we stayed on the high road, talked about our agenda. I still think it was the right thing today. The election was very close."

But in the last couple of days the PLP began to pull away as they hammered home on the UBP's pledge to look at granting status to some permanent resident certificate holders.

The party could have bypassed the issue but wanted to bring family unity where parents and siblings had different rights. "In hindsight it was the wrong thing to put in our platform but I have always said be open an honest with people and not hit them below the belt."

Policy choices weren't driven by focus group results but simply on doing what was right.

The PLP pumped out alarmist numbers and the UBP's rebuttal pointing out much lower figures didn't seem to register.

"They were effective in that. They continued to put out distorted numbers but in spite of what we said, we still couldn't get the psyche of people to believe our numbers. The PLP was very effective in taking something and twisting it."

The irony is that if and when the PLP resurrect Independence, a vastly greater number of new Bermudians will be given citizenship as a prerequisite under international law, said Mr. Dunkley.

"I don't know who they are trying to fool."

The PLP zeroed in on policies away from the core issues such as housing, education and economic empowerment.

He said the PLP kept talking about the bias of the media but they had Hott 107 pumping out a pro-PLP message.

As he stood at the polling station, he heard the commentators challenging the audience to come up with one instance when "Michael Dunkley had helped a black man".

"This went on and on and on. I was busy with the voters. I couldn't call in to challenge that."

And when a supporter did call in, their call wasn't taken.

"That is as negative and low as you can get – on an election day when people are poised to put an x and they hear something like that it has an effect because when you go into that booth you have doubts. All these little things add up.

"I think it played an important part in the election."

The race baiting from the PLP came at all levels, said Mr. Dunkley, who was accused of trying to take away people's votes when he challenged the Parliamentary Registrar about those he thought had moved out of the seat.

"I thought if I got 450 votes I stood an excellent chance of winning.

"I got 444 but the voter count went through the roof. There were a number of people who voted who don't live in that constituency.

"I saw the list from yesterday – those are the people we were trying to get to vote in the seat where they currently live."

He knows there will be another debate about whether the UBP should re-brand, re-name, re-group or simply fold.

But he said the UBP had still taken 47 percent of the vote and come close in many seats.

Now he is trying to move on and, keen not to be a sore loser, has left messages for the Premier who has yet to return the call.

"Success and failure are all part of life and how you deal with those affect how people look at you.

"But when you rise in the morning and you have faith, good things will come.

"I got a call from Boston College – my daughter got accepted there."

Ever the optimist he added of his own team: "Those candidates who weren't successful need to persevere. We need to continue to attract people.

"We were somewhat successful in showing how the party's changed but we need to continue to work on that."

And political fortunes had a habit of switching at any time.

"No one can get too elated or discouraged because things can change. Politically Bermuda has a long way to go to mature.

"Until Bermudians get more politcally mature and understand change is healthy we are going to get stuck in this back and forth where emotions and race play a big part."

At least he has the comfort of a new influx of strong MPs including Donte Hunt, Mark Pettingill and Kim Swan.

"I am not out of politics until I say I am out of politics.

"I made a commitment to the people of Smith's North and I haven't backed down from my commitment to serve certain people."

Those voters will know first if and when he quits.