Premier Dr. Ewart Brown got his Cabinet members to sign an oath of loyalty on Monday night a "desperate move" according to opponents.

However rebel MPs will likely back off for now after Dr. Brown got overwhelming support from the Progressive Labour Party Central Committee on Monday night.

Tonight MPs and Senators will debate Dr. Brown's leadership after last Wednesday's caucus meeting saw a surprise move to oust him as PLP leader.

It was instigated by senior backbenchers Wayne Perinchief and Randy Horton and reportedly supported by former Premier Alex Scott.

One insider said: "The Premier may not be as comfortable as first perceived, he required the Cabinet to sign an allegiance document."

But it was unclear last night if everyone had signed it.

Describing the move as desperate, the source said: "It is not my experience in the PLP that a leader has ever been brought to the point where he required an oath of allegiance."

Asked whether it meant that Dr. Brown was safe from a vote of no confidence by MPs, the source said:"If every signed document was binding there wouldn't ever be any divorce."

But most in the dissident camp were playing down the immediate likelihood of any attempt to oust Dr. Brown.

And one party source said Monday's meeting of the Central Committee, which is the main management body of the PLP, had been a watershed moment.

"Whatever happens to him now, the party owns it. They are not going to hold him accountable. They gave him a blank cheque."

The insider said Alaska Hall had been packed with Brown supporters with the atmosphere thick with tension.

"The reformers all think it was depressing, the MPs were trying to tell the members something but the message just didn't get through."

At one point during Monday's meeting, PLPchairman David Burt is said to have asked for a show of hands on whether to accept a statement of support for the Premier. About half the people in the room are said to have raised their hands.

When Mr. Burt then asked who opposed the statement, nobody raised their hands; and when he asked who was abstaining, nobody raised their hands.

One source said during the meeting individuals had risen one at a time to declare their constituency's support for the Premier, while a letter of support was read out on behalf of Bermuda Industrial Union boss Chris Furbert.

Asked by The Royal Gazette if any immediate challenge to Dr. Brown was now dead in the water, one source admitted it would be difficult through the party apparatus.

One PLP dissident MP said the blanket endorsement of the leader, after limited discussion by the central committee, had been expected.

Asked if it meant MPs would not be able to force a confident vote tonight the MP said:"We don't know that, we can't prejudge caucus, it's autonomous although some people might not like that."

But the MP conceded change was not likely soon.

The party put out an official statement through its spokesman Wentworth Christopher on Monday night.

He said: "At a well attended, regularly scheduled meeting of the Central Committee held at Alaska Hall on Monday night, the membership affirmed overwhelming support for Dr. the Hon. Ewart F. Brown, JP, MP.

"They expressed full confidence in his performance since his election as Party Leader."

This week Mr. Burt has warned he would use all measures under the party's constitution to ensure MPs and Senators stick to the rules tonight.

He said the PLP constitution only allows a leader to be chosen by delegates sitting in joint session with current members of the House of Assembly at an annual or special delegates' conference.

Elected by PLP delegates in October 2006, after mounting a challenge against incumbent Premier and leader Alex Scott, Dr. Brown soon ran into opposition within his party.

In November 2007 he warned colleagues to pull together in a blunt e-mail as he urged them to save any leadership challenges until after the election.

He told colleagues:"There will be plenty of time for you to attempt leadership changes AFTER the victory, but let's get the victory first!"

The e-mail followed criticisms by former PLP MPRenee Webb that the Premier's declining popularity could cost the party the election.

However Dr. Brown repeated the comfortable 22-14 seat victory achieved by the PLP five years earlier although it was short of his target of 30 seats promised with the UBP in disarray.

Talk of a leadership contest emerged again, just before the PLP's October, 2008 annual delegates' conference. But no challenge was mounted.