While many have viewed the PLP's election win as a walk-over, former Cabinet Minister Wayne Perinchief said the party was made to work hard for its victory and the United Bermuda Party is far from dead and buried.

He said widespread disillusionment with the Government had meant the party had a battle to get its supporters to the polls.

In the end the PLP had a comfortable 22-14 seat win, identical to the 2003 election result. But Mr. Perinchief said the party could never afford to take its voters for granted.

Mr. Perinchief revealed he had argued forcibly in the PLP's Candidates Committee for the party to stick with experienced candidates in 2007 in what he predicted to be a tough election as the UBP had been given the time to bounce back from messy high level resignations over race earlier in the year.

"They became a very powerful opponent and it was not the time to put novices up to run.

"When we started out I believe the PLP had an expectation of getting at least 24 seats. We did not expect to lose young (Dean) Foggo down in St. George's. I didn't expect Phil Perinchief to lose the seat held by Renee Webb.

"Some people said 30 seats which was totally over estimated. I said 22 because there was an undercurrent of dissatisfaction with the PLP just before the election was called. I was hearing on the doorstep that folks were not going to come out and vote.

"I am certain when we have a post mortem the fault lines will be exposed and I am not going to say what the problems were, why people were not going to come out and vote.

"But it became a very tough battle running up to the election, to get our supporters out to vote.

"People are keeping that a secret but it is no secret that a lot of our people were not going to come out and vote. We had to repeatedly go back on the doorstep to get them out. It wasn't a done deal. Having 22 seats? It could have gone the other way."

He said the UBP had overplayed its attack on the PLP's inability to lead and with its claims of corruption. "Methinks the lady did protest too much," said Mr. Perinchief.

"The message that the PLP is corrupt and those who support them are stupid rankled and annoyed people, black people in particular. I think the disdain expressed by the UBP to the PLP then translated into a disdain for black people globally in Bermuda. The UBP fell on their own sword."

With the UBP again losing despite some unpopularity with the Government some have concluded that it can never win.

But Mr. Perinchief said those thinking the PLP were on the verge of a 30-year dynasty were misguided. "We have a very educated electorate in this country. They are going to become more and more discerning and they are going to vet their politicians more and more.

"I believe the voter is sophisticated as he is will look at policy, scrutinise the PLP, scrutinise the individual candidates and return the people who will best serve the country and I don't think blind party loyalty will stand for the PLP going forward.

"The Government will always be up for grabs in this country. With 1998 and the breaking of that conservative mould, it freed people to vote whatever way they wanted.

"I don't know if it will be the UBP who will remain in Opposition but I don't see the PLP being given carte blanche to go forward. They are going to have to fight every election. I see a very healthy democracy in this country."

After not gaining any ground there are doubts the UBP will be the one to put the PLP under pressure with calls for a new Opposition party to be formed.

But Mr. Perinchief said: "The PLP were in Opposition for 35 years — use that as a template. I don't see the UBP passing into oblivion."

Some in the PLP including Premier Brown have expressed the desire to destroy the UBP.

In his speech to delegates which won him the leadership contest Dr. Brown vowed to try to "pummel the UBP into irreversible obscurity".

But Mr. Perinchief said: "As a mature person in this country I would shudder to think that any form of dictatorship or oligarchy should emerge in this country.

"I abhorred it when it was the then UBP and I would abhor it if it was now the PLP, if we developed into an oligarchy. No, I believe in democracy."

In his early days as a PLP backbencher, under former Premier Dame Jennifer Smith, Mr. Perinchief had expressed frustration about the lack of action on independence.

The issue was not on the platform at the recent election and he has no clue about whether it will be there next time around.

"It has never been mentioned. Independence has not been mentioned for so long that I can't remember the last time it was. It has fallen off the radar screen."

Asked if he was frustrated he said: "No not really. I am a very pragmatic person. I believe time and circumstances change plans.

"The world is a very dangerous place for small nations. Let's leave it like that. And sometimes you need a brother, let's put it that way.

"As it stands right now it does not seem to be a burning issue."