That is the question just about everyone is asking now that the Progressive Labour Party leadership has asked its followers not to exercise their democratic right in the Independence referendum.

The first thing that is happening is a strange public apathy. The public has not yet accepted that just the debate on Independence and the uncertainty that it has created both inside Bermuda and overseas can result in huge problems.

Basically the general public would simply like to get the referendum over with so that it can go about its business. There was no public groundswell in favour of a referendum or in favour of Independence. The result is a public which is only annoyed that it is being put, unnecessarily, to all this bother.

But the public's attitude also seems tinged with a dangerous apathy. Some Bermudians, even some in very high places, are responding "So What?'' when you tell them that Independence could badly damage our international company business. Bermudians once made the mistake of assuming that tourism would continue to boom no matter how we treated people or what we charged. We are now making a very similar mistake with international company business which is a much more volatile industry and thrives on stability.

The second thing that is happening is disenchantment with both political leaders. They have both been around for a long time. Both seem to have lost their way in an attempt to reach solutions which are out of step with public thinking. Is it any wonder that members of the public constantly raise the issue of personal agendas? No one, absolutely no one, believes that Independence was raised for the good of the Country.

One leader forced his followers, against their general will, to discuss Independence and to face an unsettling referendum when there was no public call to a debate on Independence.

The other leader has supported Independence for years and years and now asks his followers, against their better judgment, not to vote in a referendum which could give them Independence.

If this were a comic opera, the plot would be criticised as far-fetched.

Clearly both leaders have now placed themselves in positions where they cannot find the wide support they need to stay in office for any length of time. Yet in both cases the possible succession might be less acceptable than the incumbent. In the UBP John Irving Pearman has defeated himself with regular threats to resign. Other possibles are tainted or suffer from a lack of experience in major ministries. In the PLP, with the exception of Jennifer Smith, the obvious successors, Alex Scott, Ewart Brown and Ottiwell Simmons, are more radical than the present leader at a time when the party is trying to capture the centre ground.

The third thing which is happening is not funny to anyone. Bermuda has two industries which feed it in about equal proportions. Tourism is the largest employer but it has been troubled and in financial difficulties since the major strike of 1981. International company business is the second largest employer. Just because of the discussion of Independence that industry has a committee looking at just how fast the companies can leave Bermuda if and when they decide to go. We are reliably told that some companies have rehearsed their total departure and reduced the required time to about 30 hours from start to Airport take-off.

Any successful business in the world would be rushing to reassure these companies and to keep them as clients. Bermuda is a successful business or we would all still be growing onions. Yet Bermuda's leaders are not moving to help in a crisis caused by an unnecessary Independence debate which they started.

Some Bermudians still have an attitude of Quo Fata Ferunt.