Progressive Labour Party officials were tight-lipped last night outside of a meeting between ministers, senators and the party’s central committee.

The agenda for the meeting was expected to include setting the schedule for the next annual delegates conference, where the party will choose its next leader, and discuss absences in the House of Assembly which pushed back the Education Authority Bill 2026.

David Burt, the Premier, declined to provide a comment to the media outside, as did other MPs and senators.

However, Lawrence Scott, a PLP backbencher, said the One Bermuda Alliance’s vote to rise and report progress on the legislation was part of the “cut and thrust” of politics.

Mr Scott said: “The PLP did this under the OBA and that’s just how it is.”

He added that education remains a priority of the Government, and the delay would allow time to potentially make further amendments to strengthen the legislation.

The Education Authority Bill 2026, which lays the groundwork for the creation of an education authority, was under discussion in the House on Friday evening when a vote was held to rise and report progress, halting the debate until November 20.

The vote was passed 11-9, with Robert King, the independent MP, siding with all ten OBA members in the House.

Thirteen government MPs eligible to vote did not vote, including Mr Burt, who said he was at a “private engagement”.

Michael Weeks, a government backbencher, was the only MP whose absence was listed on the written order paper, but Dennis Lister, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, told MPs at the start of Friday’s session that the Reverend Emily Gail Dill, the Minister of the Cabinet Office and Digital Information, was off the island.

Dr Dill told The Royal Gazette yesterday that she was in New York City for an event related to the African Methodist Episcopal Church; she serves as minister, with her husband as pastor, of Allen Temple AME in Sandys.

Other MPs absent for the vote, which paused debate on the legislation for two weeks, included Mr Burt, who is also the Minister of Finance, Zane DeSilva, the Deputy Premier and Minister of Housing and Municipalities, health minister Kim Wilson, Alexa Lightbourne, the Minister of Home Affairs, and backbencher Curtis Dickinson, who is vying to lead the PLP.

Mr Burt stated in a letter to PLP members that the organisation’s Central Committee is expected to review “what happened, including whether absences were authorised and agreed arrangements were followed”.

Lovitta Foggo was Acting Speaker when votes were cast and backbencher Scott Simmons was acting as chairman, which meant they were unable to vote.

Mr Burt said he will cancel any ministerial travel approved for November 20 — when MPs are set to continue debating the Education Authority Bill.