Governor Sir Richard Gonzey said yesterday in a speech to the Hamilton Rotary Club that he was happy with his level of involvement in politics on the Island.

"This is the only British Overseas Territory where the Governor does not sit in Cabinet and chair Cabinet," said Sir Richard. "Nor does this Governor wish to do so."

The Governor believes that this "light touch" helps Bermuda form stronger bonds with its neighbours, specifically the USA.

"We shall remain involved in Bermuda's international aviation and maritime affairs and, most of all, we shall keep an eye on the Police and the courts, in the sense of acting as guarantor of their political neutrality and impartiality," Sir Richard said. "Your constitution does not ask us to do more, and that's fine by us."

The Governor also reiterated the UK's stance on the issue of Bermuda going Independent — that the decision is entirely up to the people of Bermuda.

"If Bermuda wants Independence, we won't hold on," he said.

While he offered a referendum as one option of gauging if Bermudians want to cut ties with the UK, he said that it was not the only one, though he did not clarify others.

The Governor used the majority of his time at the podium to discuss the lessons that he had learned from working as an ambassador throughout the world prior to coming to the Island, but he denied that any of the lessons were directly linked to Bermuda.

Tolerance, said the Governor, does not always happen automatically and can only be brought around by education, both formal and cultural.

"People are naturally conservative," Sir Richard said. "They tend to like what they know and to be guarded towards what they don't know. It (tolerance) depends on groups knowing each other well enough to love each other as much as they love themselves."

Sir Richard also denied the idea that economic progress can only occur under "clean" governance and warned that improvements in the economy do not automatically mean an honest government.

"Good, clean governance helps to spread the benefits of economic development," he said. "We should not kid ourselves that it is a prerequisite."

Finally, he argued that an increase in Police presence cannot stop crime, only curb it, and that focusing on the social cause of the problem is the only way to truly solve it.

"Indeed, improved security can and should help to control troubles on the streets but security forces can only hold the line pending a political or social resolution of the underlining problem," said the Governor.