confusion yet some years ago the Progressive Labour Party went through similar traumas when its moderate members split from the hard core and created the National Liberal Party. That split in the PLP resulted in large PLP losses at the polls. The same thing could happen to the UBP if the "gang of five'' does not behave and the Premier does not clean-up Mr. Tim Smith's mess.

The UBP seems not to have learned its lessons.

The people do not want to be governed by a political party in turmoil. Those people who continue to disrupt Bermuda are on very dangerous ground.

The gang of five seem to think that they have a valid complaint with the Saul government but the public does not see that complaint. The public sees disruption and the public does not see that there is any complaint worth disrupting the Country.

Politicians of any stripe have to understand one simple idea.

Bermuda was disrupted for a long period, first by the difficult and very close election and then by an unnecessary referendum on Independence. During that time Bermuda's affairs did not receive the care and attention they deserve.

The people reelected the United Bermuda Party and then put Independence firmly to rest. That cleared the way for the Government to get on with running Bermuda. The public does not want continued disruption nor does it want a Government divided against itself. The public is already fed-up with the confrontations between the political parties, it does not want added confrontation within the parties.

The dissident UBP members are making a mistake. They are assuming that the Saul government is vulnerable, perhaps because three of them refused to serve the people in the Cabinet. The fact is that the Saul government has been strong and popular. It may disappoint the dissidents but their party is strong without them.

That party will have to be careful to remain strong. It has been severely damaged by the mouthings of Planning Minister Tim Smith which have cast a shadow over the integrity of the entire Cabinet.

Mr. Tim Smith's statement to the House of Assembly on Friday indicates that he does not comprehend what he did. Mr. Smith's apology to Mr. Trevor Moniz and to Bermuda for the slurs he cast on Mr. Moniz is acceptable but it is not to the point. The point is that he was acting as judge in an appeal to him as Minister of Planning and his own statements gave the clear appearance that he was prepared to punish a politician of whom he did not approve by tampering with the planning regulations. Mr. Smith said of Mr. Moniz's appeal: "I haven't even looked at it. I said I ain't looking at it for now.'' The principle is that justice delayed is justice denied. That is the point. It is quite different from the slurs on Mr. Moniz and it cannot be apologised for.

We know that Bermuda does not have a tradition of politicians doing the right thing but when you have an incident such as that created by Mr. Smith, the public gets the impression that politics is not an honourable profession. That is very unhealthy. It is especially bad for a new government in its early days. It now seems the Government may be preparing to "tough out'' the Smith problem and that is wrong.

Even though Mr. Trevor Moniz is involved in both, it seems to us the UBP now has two distinct problems, the gang of five and Mr. Tim Smith. The public wants the gang of five to behave and it wants the Smith matter resolved. It is looking to the Saul Government for some successes.