Deputy Premier the Hon.

Irving Pearman.

The half-page newspaper advertisement, which features two Cabinet Ministers and Government Whip Mr. John Barritt, "raises some serious questions'', Mr.

Pearman told The Royal Gazette yesterday.

He complained yesterday to Premier the Hon. Sir John Swan about the ad and said sanctions could follow.

"It's just not good,'' Mr. Pearman said. "It's not acceptable in our Westminster system.'' As well as expressing concern over the Whip's presence in the ad, Mr. Pearman said Cabinet Ministers "should have resigned from Cabinet some time ago'' if they felt "the Government has lost its way''.

That was the message from Tourism Minister the Hon. C.V. (Jim) Woolridge when he gave a highly-publicised anti-Independence speech to Hamilton Rotary Club recently.

Mr. Woolridge is featured in the ad, along with Education Minister the Hon.

Clarence Terceira. So is Mr. Barritt, Government backbenchers Dr. David Dyer, Mr. Trevor Moniz, the Hon. Ann Cartwright DeCouto, and Mr. Rick Spurling, and former Cabinet Minister and MP Dr. Clarence James.

Angry over Independence ad "To gamble at Cup Match is a Bermudian tradition,'' reads the ad that appeared in The Royal Gazette . "To gamble on our future is a Bermudian tragedy.'' The eight featured describe themselves as "The UBP Group Against Independence Now''. Use of the United Bermuda Party's initials in the ad was among Mr.

Pearman's complaints.

While he said yesterday he would resign from Cabinet in the event of a `no' vote, "I might be gone before that,'' Mr. Pearman said. "My concern is the way some of my colleagues have been carrying on.

"I've been accused of helping to lead this Country astray.'' Mr. Barritt defended his presence in the ad. "I've certainly been identified previously as someone who is against Independence at this time,'' Mr. Barritt said. "I just see it as standing up and being counted.'' MPs were told at the outset they were free to take their own positions on Independence, Mr. Barritt said.

The description of the group was a factual one, he said.

But Human Affairs and Information Minister the Hon. Jerome Dill -- who has taken his own criticism for Government's Independence ads -- was also critical.

"It is certainly susceptible to the view that what is being suggested is that the UBP is against Independence,'' Mr. Dill said. "That's unfortunate.

"The position that we've taken as a party is neither anti-Independence nor pro-Independence.''