South.

Dairy chief Michael Dunkley emerged from Christ Church Hall to thunderous applause following his primary triumph over Joe Gibbons.

And his jubilant supporters were determined to milk the occasion for all it was worth.

"It has been a really good contest -- a lot of fun,'' their hero declared, hugging his wife, Pamela.

His face lit up by the glare of TV camera lights and flashbulbs, Mr. Dunkley paid tribute to the 698 United Bermuda Party voters who had flocked to the hall to vote -- 422 of them for him.

It had been a tremendous achievement to "sign them'' up in so short a time, he said.

"What next for you now?'' challenged one reporter.

The political newcomer -- who has characterised himself as a man of action -- gave the response his supporters wanted.

"It's back to the campaign trail,'' he said.

For Mr. Gibbons, meanwhile, it was a case of sampling the bitter taste of defeat...and contemplating what might have been.

UBP sources last night claimed the Gibbons campaign bandwagon had not received enough time to roll.

"Barely three weeks was too short a time, particularly when you're an outsider running against a local man with a well-organised team. The wheels were not properly oiled,'' a senior UBP figure said.

It was an argument which Mr. Gibbons accepted.

"Obviously I'm very disappointed. I thought it would have been a tighter contest,'' he said. "As a local man, Mr. Dunkley had an advantage. He knew the terrain and certainly had the branch on his side.

"I believe, however, given another couple of weeks I would have narrowed the vote margin to a few votes.'' Mr. Gibbons, who captured 275 ballots, said his immediate future now lay as a behind-the-scenes man at UBP headquarters.

Would he stand again? "I wouldn't discount it, although those are not my immediate plans.'' Devonshire South MP John Barritt welcomed his new running mate, adding: "I think the high turn-out is a very positive sign indeed.'' The showdown, which attracted an 82 percent turnout, had been billed as the local man versus the wily political campaigner. But the size of Mr. Dunkley's victory was a shock...to many political pundits, at least.

Not to Mr. Dunkley, however.

"It was pretty much as I expected. I knew beforehand how we stood. We had a good campaign and a strong support base.'' Mr. Dunkley doffed his hat to his opponent, while mildly rebuking him for "negative campaigning''.

"He certainly pulled out all the stops, although I don't wish to dwell on that. He was a good candidate and I think he can serve another constituency well.'' Mobbed by his family and supporters, Mr. Dunkley left the hall to toast his victory.

It was a champagne occasion, but how would he be celebrating? "With milk -- and maybe some Tropicana,'' he said without batting an eyelid.

Devonshire South How they voted Votes Michael Dunkley 422 Joe Gibbons 275 Spoiled ballots 1 Total votes 698 UBP members 849 Turnout 82.3% 1991 Primary Result: John Barritt 453, Giorgio Zanol 347, Spoiled Ballots 5.

UBP Members 1,125Turnout 71.4%