Whites need to stand up for themselves politically and not be intimidated into silence, says former Progressive Labour Party Cabinet Minister Renee Webb.

She spoke out in defence of her friend Claire Smith who was accused of being a racist and a bigot by Minister Without Portfolio Walter Roban after she criticised the Premier.

It led Ms Smith to claim that whites were being marginalised politically.

But Ms Webb, who attacked Premier Ewart Brown for endless playing of the race card, said whites must continue to speak out, despite the flak. She told The Royal Gazette: "They have to do it regardless of how it will be played back to them, regardless of a black person telling them that they are racist.

"They have to stand up. Period. It is their country too. If they see an injustice being done they cannot ignore it and not say anything because they are worried about what a black person is going to call them. They cannot back down. If black people had backed down they would probably still be slaves."

Ms Webb said white people had been marginalised because of politics and Bermudians of all colours could not leave everything to politicians to sort out as MPs had an agenda of their own.

"Whites have to stand up regardless otherwise there will not be any change. If they collude they will be part of it. Claire was right to stand up. There needs to be more Claire Smiths.

"What can black people do to them? Call their mortgage? I don't think so. Seriously, what is the fear from white people? Black people are not economically in charge, they can't do anything to them."

And Ms Webb, a former Tourism and Telecommunications Minister, believes Dr. Brown will not stop playing the race card given its political dividends for the PLP and his own radical background.

Asked why race relations were seen by some as worse now that at any time under a decade of PLP rule she said: "Because Jennifer Smith and Alex Scott were much more tolerant and understanding of what existed in the past."

While recognising the impact of slavery and colonialism the first two PLP Premiers had a notion about fixing it, said Ms Webb.

"Dr. Brown is a militant. He comes from the 1960s, he comes from the 'Say it loud, I am black and I am proud' era. And he has never gotten over it.

"He sees himself as a strong black male and he is going to be treated as such."

Ms Webb believes Dr. Brown deliberately ignored the British over the Uighur issue because 'He didn't want to negotiate with a white man'.

"I know him. I can tell you it's racial. It's just how he sees the world.

"He took a pleasure in calling me the 'Minister of White People' because I have white friends and I know white people. It is seriously deep, the level of discrimination.

"You are talking about a black male who is saying 'I am in charge and you have to respect me. This is how he behaves. You have to understand a lot of black males who admire that, that's what you are up against.

"They see him as a strong black male standing up against whites."

Most people in Bermuda are of mixed race but choose to pick sides rather than embrace all elements, believes Ms Webb.

"The Premier's great grandfather was a white man, Mr. Darrell. People are multiracial but they don't relate to both halves. They say 'I am black and I have to fight the black cause rather than saying 'I want to bring about equality'.

"Currently the Government can use it to stay in power, there is a victim mentality that exists particularly among black males that says 'I am like I am because of what the white man did to me historically'.

"That is amazing to me that in 2009 people can use victimisation status instead of taking responsibility for their own life. It's all a part of what the society has bought into. The black male has bought into that he's a victim.

"Unfortunately the Premier plays that to the max so Walter Roban and Claire Smith is a reflection of a racially divided society."

And she said Mr. Roban was wrong to label Claire Smith a racist and bigot. "I know Claire Smith, we were at university together in the early 1980s.

"I count her as a friend, she has her issues she needs to address like all of us do. But is she a racist or a bigot? No, because if I go to Claire's house for a party there are as many black people as white people at it.

"Walter doesn't even know her. But that's where the mentality is a white person saying anything against the PLP and the Government is going to be classed as racist.

"It is only going to end when people take responsibility for what is happening.

"But you have a leader who has no problem playing the race card — absolutely none.

"The Big Conversation is one thing, you can have a lot of conversations but are you actually manifesting that in what you are doing, what you are saying?"