A former One Bermuda Alliance deputy leader has backed Ben Smith to be the next Opposition leader rather than another potential candidate she described as “one of the most hated men in Bermuda“.

Leah Scott said on Facebook that Mr Smith, the OBA’s deputy leader, should become Leader of the Opposition after Jarion Richardson steps down on September 6.

She also made it clear that she did not think Michael Fahy, who returned to politics at the last election after an absence of almost eight years, was the right person for the job.

Ms Scott posted: “They parachuted Fahy into [Constituency] 20 … will they try to parachute the most hated man in Bermuda into the position of Leader of the Opposition?

“Money, privilege and colour, what will rule?”

Ms Scott, who served as an OBA MP for Southampton East Central from 2012 to 2020 and as the party’s deputy leader from 2018 to 2020, said that Mr Smith was a “son of the soil” who wanted to take Bermuda to the next level.

She told The Royal Gazette: “The OBA needs to let the younger people coming along in the party — Mr Smith, Victoria Cunningham, Dwayne Robinson — be at the forefront, because they’re the new blood.”

Mr Smith, the Shadow Minister of Education and Sport, served as MP for Southampton West Central from 2017 to 2020, was elected to represent Smith’s South in a by-election three years later and retained the seat in the General Election in February.

Ms Scott, who now lives overseas, said she believed that Mr Fahy was '“one of the most hated men in Bermuda because of immigration” and that his involvement in Pathways to Status stained the OBA’s image during and after its term in government.

Mr Fahy served as the Minister of Home Home Affairs during Pathways, which proposed granting permanent residence and status to some long-term residents, sparked mass demonstrations in 2016.

He serves as Shadow Minister of Home Affairs, Housing and Municipalities and was elected MP for Pembroke South West in February after an almost eight-year political absence.

Ms Scott said: “I don’t hate Mr Fahy but it was a fact that what he did with Pathways did not sit well with Bermuda, and I don’t think the country has been able to rid itself from that since then.

“People who live here should not be faceless, but I also believe that there has to be a way for immigration reform to be done that is palatable.”

She added: “People here have lived through the trauma of the Theatre Boycott, racism and prejudice, so I appreciate the fear, but conversely, Bermudians go all over the world to live, work and expect to be received.

“Why should people coming into Bermuda not expect that same sort of reception?”

Ms Scott believes the OBA needs to connect more with the island’s community to get back into government.

She said: “The Progressive Labour Party is in election mode every day of the year. The OBA have to learn that; they’ve got to come up with reasons for voters to engage and vote for them.

“I would like to see the party move away from analysing and criticising the government of the day and pivot towards what they would do if they were in government.”

Mr Fahy did not comment when contacted by the Gazette and the OBA did not respond to queries by the time of publication.

A message was also left for Mr Smith, who is believed to be overseas.