new MPs following the resignations of former Premiers David Saul and Sir John Swan. In the first in a five-part series, Raymond Hainey profiles Sanders Frith Brown, who is running as an "Independent UBP'' candidate in Paget East.

The most unusual candidate in either the Paget East or Devonshire South by-elections has to be Sanders Frith Brown.

Mr. Frith Brown is a member of no fewer than two local branches of the ruling United Bermuda Party.

But for the Paget East by-election, he has custom-designed his own colours as an "Independent Unfettered Bermuda Party'' candidate and nailed them to the mast.

But the three-time loser in a bid to be approved as a UBP candidate is unlikely to change his luck this time around.

For -- despite claims of public support for his disenchantment with Government -- Mr. Frith Brown appears fatally out of sync with the new spirit of unity in the UBP under can't-put-a-foot-wrong Premier Pamela Gordon.

But Mr. Frith Brown, a 52-year-old property owner, builder and restorer of old buildings, is unrepentant and insisted that party politics was not working for Bermuda.

And he said poor race relations and drugs problems were the bottom line for Bermuda -- and something needs to be done.

Mr. Frith Brown added: "The race problem is my main concern -- we will not solve our drugs problem until we start to solve our race problem.'' When he announced his candidature he said it was a protest against the UBP party machine and what he sees as the manipulation of political life by unelected backroom officials.

Already -- just weeks into his campaign -- he has challenged Kim Young, the official UBP candidate for Paget East, to a public debate.

Mrs. Young declined on the grounds it was a distraction from the major issues and an interruption to her on-the-ground constituency campaign.

But Progressive Labour Party candidate Craig Walls said he was prepared to take up the challenge. The Broadcasting Commission has yet to rule whether such a debate could take place under political broadcasting rules.

And Mr. Frith Brown has also reported PLP MP Ewart Brown to the Human Rights Commission over allegedly racist comments made at a meeting of the Bermuda Medical Society.

But Mr. Frith Brown -- despite a penchant for grabbing the headlines -- denies he is a crank and self-publicist.

He said: "I would much rather sit at home and mind my own business -- apart from anything else, it's a dubious honour to be in the House of Assembly. The level of debate is an embarrassment.'' But he said he would happily take a seat in the House as a UBP or a PLP MP -- if he was allowed to escape the party whip to vote his conscience where necessary.

But he said the UBP did not represent the Island's best interests on matters like race and drugs because they were afraid to lose votes.

And he slammed the PLP for cynically exploiting race issues in a bid to win votes for its cause -- and some of its MPs for voting against their conscience, as on the franchise issue, merely to embarrass Government.

Mr. Frith Brown said: "I don't believe in voting to embarrass somebody -- you should vote to represent the best interests of Bermuda and the average person.

Party politics isn't doing that.'' And he accepted he may well lose his $250 deposit in the May 6 three-way vote.

But he said: "If I have been able to make ten people, especially members of the various parties, think about what the real issues are, I would spend ten times that.'' FACT FILE Age: 52 Profession: Builder/house restorer Political history: UBP member, has failed to be approved as a UBP candidate on three occasions.

`. . . You should vote to represent the best interests of Bermuda and the average person. Party politics isn't doing that.' Sanders Frith Brown