A former Opposition leader has called on the people of the island to unite and “chart a new course” as he announced his resignation from the One Bermuda Alliance and intention to sit as an independent MP.

Robert King — who was ousted as the OBA leader in February — said he will continue to represent his constituents in the House of Assembly, unbound by party politics.

The Smith’s North (Constituency 10) member insisted: “I did not make this decision lightly.

“I entered politics because I believed we could do better. I believed that government should serve people — not parties, personalities, special interests or the status quo.”

In May 2024, Mr King won a Smith’s North by-election, triggered by the retirement from politics of Michael Dunkley, a former OBA leader and premier.

His seat was secured in the 2025 General Election, when he took 303, or almost 40 per cent, of the constituency’s votes compared with 286, or about 38 per cent, for Lindsay Simmons, of the Progressive Labour Party.

The late Sir John Swan, who stood then as an independent candidate, earned 170 votes, or about 22 per cent.

In a statement released for publication today, Mr King said: “On September 6, 2025, I was given the opportunity to lead the Opposition with a mandate to make our party more proactive, responsive and courageous.

“Six months later, I was removed as leader.

“I have spent the months since then trying to reconcile differences and continue serving my constituents as an OBA MP. But there comes a time when you have to be honest with yourself.

“My values and the direction of the organisation are no longer aligned.

“I cannot continue to belong to a system when doing so compromises my responsibility to the people I was elected to serve.”

Mr King told The Royal Gazette yesterday: “It’s not about the relationships with the people in the One Bermuda Alliance; it’s nothing to do with that.

“It’s about where will we be most effective at meeting the needs of the community.

“If it was all about relationships, then we would talk about remaining with the party out of a sense of duty and obligation, loyalty to the party, as opposed to the foundational principles of representing the constituents and the community.

“My position has always been to represent my constituents and the community at large.”

Mr King, who served as Shadow Minister of Justice, described himself last year as a successful “disrupter” since joining the political scene.

At the time he was in contention for the leadership of the OBA, and Ben Smith, then the party’s deputy leader, was his rival.

His statement today added: “I have spent much of my life serving this community — in corrections, probation, justice and now Parliament.

“I have seen people at their best and at their worst. I have learnt that people do not need politicians to tell them what their problems are.

“They need someone willing to listen, tell them the truth and do something about it.

“That is the commitment I am making today.

“As an independent MP, I will no longer be bound by party politics when deciding what is right for Bermuda.

“I will be free to support good ideas, challenge bad ones and work with anyone who is prepared to put Bermuda first.

“I am not leaving politics. I am leaving the politics that has failed too many of our people.

“For too long we have accepted excuses.

“We have lowered our standards. We have watched people leave our shores because they no longer believe they have a future here.

“We have watched families struggle with the cost of living, housing, healthcare and energy while governments and political parties argue over who is right.”

He said that he will fight for “ordinary people” but called on the community for support.

Mr King urged charities, churches, businesses and individuals of all ages and with varying experiences to tell him “what is not working … what you believe we can do differently”.

He said: “ … I believe we can build a Bermuda that becomes a benchmark for how a small country can govern itself — with integrity, compassion, common sense and courage.

“My political journey has brought me to this moment for a reason.

“I fought two elections against Sir John Swan, and during those campaigns I learnt many things. One thing that stayed with me was his belief that the system we have is not meeting the needs of our people.

“I believe he was right. So today, I am taking the first step toward doing something different.

“To the people of Smith’s North who elected me and trusted me: I have not forgotten you. I will continue to represent you with everything I have. And to Bermuda: whether I am one person or eventually part of a team of many, I will continue to fight for you.

“This is not simply my decision. It is an invitation. An invitation for people of goodwill to come together and chart a new course.

“We have spent too long dividing ourselves into ‘us’ and ‘them’. It is time to remember that we are all in this together.”

Mr King, a social sciences graduate who worked in correctional systems in Bermuda and Canada, was a senior probation officer for about 20 years.

He resigned from the job in 2024 to devote his time fully to politics and said then that he felt “compelled” to step forward as a candidate for the Smith’s North by-election.

“The philosophy of the OBA fits my view in terms of responsible government, a government that is responsive to the needs of the community, a government that understands that in order to have good infrastructure, you need to have monies to pay for that infrastructure,” he added at the time.

Mr King won 209 votes in the by-election, edging past Sir John’s 184 and the 181 for Ms Simmons.

It was announced in July 2025 that Jarion Richardson, who had led the OBA since August 2023, would step down as leader the following September at the party’s annual meeting.

Mr Smith, the Smith’s South (Constituency 8) MP, and Mr King threw their hats in the ring, with a majority of conference attendees ultimately voting in favour of the latter.

No figure was provided by the OBA for the split of votes although a party source said there were more than 400 ballots to be counted.

When his victory was confirmed, Mr King said he recognised that the leadership race “could have gone either way”, but felt members chose him “because they believe I will be a person who would best be able to advocate for them and get our party ready for the next election”.

By February, however, it emerged that pressure was on him to step down as leader.

It was understood then that seven MPs had signed a letter of no confidence in his position as Leader of the Opposition, which is an appointment made by the Governor in line with the Bermuda Constitution.

Mr Smith was sworn in as Opposition leader at Government House on February 5.

Scott Pearman, the party’s deputy leader, said at the time that over the preceding few months, MPs had voiced concerns about Mr King’s leadership style and doubted his ability to unite the party, leading to the vote of no confidence.

Mr King’s party resignation will leave the OBA with ten members in the Lower House, compared with 25 for the PLP.

The last time the island had any independent MPs was before the 2017 General Election, after the late Shawn Crockwell and then Mark Pettingill resigned from the OBA.

• To see Mr King’s statement in full, see Opinion