The chairman of the Progressive Labour Party has claimed the Opposition's new Deputy Leader is seen as "the most right-wing member of the House of Assembly".

PLP chairman David Burt accused the United Bermuda Party of elevating "the old guard" with the appointment of Trevor Moniz despite the MP being seen as a reformer among his own Party members.

Mr. Moniz, MP for Smith's West, was a member of the Way Forward Committee which formed after last year's General Election to find ways to broaden Party support.

In a statement on Monday he said: "I want to help the Party embrace change."

Mr. Burt however, said: "Trevor Moniz has served as a UBP MP for 15 years. He doesn't represent change in any way. He's a member of the UBP's old guard and is widely considered to be the most right-wing member of the House of Assembly.

"With Trevor Moniz, the only kind of change you'll see out of the UBP is a shift away from the mainstream and toward the far right of the Bermudian political spectrum.

"The elevation of an old guard, right-wing party stalwart like Trevor Moniz clearly shows that the same old UBP powerbrokers, those uninterested in change, are still firmly in control of their party."

Mr. Burt added: "I'm not surprised that the UBP dumped Cole Simons after just a few months on the job. He and Kim Swan have done nothing to change the Party and have presided over one of the most ineffective Oppositions in Bermuda's history."

Mr. Simons said he stepped down as Deputy Leader to advance the agenda for change. "This is about unity and change to strengthen the United Bermuda Party and its appeal to voters," he said.

UBP Leader Mr. Swan meanwhile, said: "We are joining hands to move this Party and the country forward. Trevor is a strong voice on the need for change."

Mr. Moniz is currently off-Island.