Premier Ewart Brown has had a meeting with his predecessor Alex Scott as he begins his efforts to win round his backbench critics. However, Mr. Scott suggested the Premier has a long way to go to appease Progressive Labour Party colleagues angry about his actions earlier this summer by observing: nothing has changed so far.

The former Premier — who has frequently questioned Dr. Brown's leadership style — was one of seven PLP MPs to vote against his controversial cruise ship gaming bill last month.

Mr. Scott was annoyed by the Premier's attempt to sneak the bill through Parliament behind the backs of its opponents by telling them it was not on the House of Assembly's agenda.

In the aftermath of that move, the Premier was publicly urged to resign by four MPs, including Ministers Elvin James and Terry Lister who left Cabinet shortly afterwards. It came three weeks after a storm of protests from PLP MPs infuriated by the Premier's failure to tell them he was bringing four Guantánamo Bay detainees to Bermuda without permission from the UK.

Dr. Brown later emerged intact from a PLP central committee meeting, but not before he had pledged to offer an olive branch to a backbench now dominated by disgruntled MPs.

Yesterday, Mr. Scott revealed he has since met with the Premier to discuss Dr. Brown's pledge, with meetings with other MPs expected to follow later this month.

Mr. Scott would not elaborate on what was said during their meeting, but described the conversation as "cordial".

Of the Premier's public promise to change his leadership style by customising his approach to suit individual party colleagues, Mr. Scott said: "I don't think it will hurt."

But asked about current feeling among the backbench, he replied: "My judgement is that nothing has changed."

Dr. Brown sent an e-mail to his party colleagues on Sunday, July 26, as he awaited a plane to France.

In the message, forwarded to The Royal Gazette, Dr. Brown stated: "The past few months and particularly the past two weeks have tested us big time. We have had the usual toxic flow from our regular opponents, heightened by internal conflict and the deaths of two stalwarts in Nelson and Julian. Each of us will receive our own messages from these trying experiences.

"Mine is still evolving but this much is clear ... the Progressive Labour Party must find ways to become a younger, stronger, more efficient and more effective organisation in the near future.

"In the interest of the above, I want you to know that, as I promised at Alaska Hall two weeks ago, I have begun the process of reaching out to backbenchers. So far I have had one meeting and have two others scheduled for next month."

One backbencher said MPs had interpreted his remarks as an attempt to pave the way for one of his vocal young supporters to run in the by-election for late Health Minister Nelson Bascome's Pembroke East Central seat.

That would make life easier for Dr. Brown in the House, but the backbencher said: "I would like to see an older, more mature person who can speak to the issues, as opposed to making comments based on whether they are going to please the Premier.

"I really don't think in the short run — even for the remaining three years until the next election — that we need a yes man."

Mr. Scott said the ideal candidate would be "someone who could be relied on to rise above the national politics and party politics and apply their energies to represent their community".

The Premier's press secretary Glenn Jones ignored our request for a comment over how the talks with backbenchers were going and how the Premier hopes to make the PLP a younger organisation.

Dr. Brown's out-of-office e-mail AutoReply said he was on vacation, adding: "Thanks for allowing me to rest. I need it."

PLP Chairman David Burt has previously stated that the PLP needs younger blood. He said yesterday: "We will continue the process that the executive started in 2006 when I was elected chairman of: modernising the party through internal change, reinvigorating the branches, generating new policies for our people, and recruiting new members (both young and old) to do the work of the Party.

"That is why we have become 'a younger, stronger, more efficient and more effective organisation', and by continuing our efforts of internal reform we will continue to become 'a younger, stronger, more efficient and more effective organisation'."