Seven UBP MPs Resign To Seal OBA Merger
[Updated] Seven of the United Bermuda Party’s nine Members of Parliament today [May 16] announced they have resigned from the party to join with the Bermuda Democratic Alliance’s three Parliamentarians in order to form the One Bermuda Alliance [OBA].
John Barritt, Pat Gordon-Pamplin, Trevor Moniz, Grant Gibbons, Louise Jackson, Bob Richards and Cole Simons said they had tendered their resignations from the UBP on Friday to serve under the OBA banner.
Only UBP leader Kim Swan and Southampton MP Charles Swan now remain in the party’s Parliamentary caucus.
Mr. Moniz said interim OBA leader John Barritt is expected to be formally installed as Bermuda’s new Opposition Leader at a Government House ceremony tomorrow. The OBA will then be launched at an afternoon event.
The former UBP members are “exercising their right of free association”, Mr. Moniz told Bernews, by leaving the party and joining with ex-UBP and present BDA MPs Mark Pettingill, Donte Hunt and Shawn Crockwell to formalise a long-discussed merger that will create the OBA.
On May 3 members of the UBP met and voted to authorize party officers to dissolve the UBP, and merge with the Bermuda Democratic Alliance [BDA] to form a new party.
Not all UBP members were in agreement, as on May 10 a group of MPs and current and former party officers filed a Supreme Court injunction seeking to stop the UBP from dissolving.
Among the complainants were UBP leader Kim.Swan and MP Charles Swan, the last two remaining UBP MPs.
As long as they remained UBP MPs, the seven Parliamentarians who resigned from the party had been precluded from joining with the BDA MPs while the injunction remained before the court. By formally resigning from the UBP, they were free to pursue the merger.
The PLP previously reacted to the merger by saying, “We will not be distracted by their name changes and internal politics, but will instead stay focused on the many challenges facing our community….The reunion of the Opposition parties, and the renaming of their ‘new’ entity, is not our predominant concern.”
Update #1: Officials confirm that the Governor will swear-in the new leader of the Opposition tomorrow morning.
Update #2: Senator Michael Dunkley also confirmed he has resigned from the UBP.
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Still listening to my oldie goldies……..
Is Mr. Swan singing “Angel Flying to Close to the Ground”…..or am I having a moment……
saw this happening days ago!!
Ok Now Carry ON! Bring on the change… lets see what you guys got! I want to see REAL OPPOSITION already… Hold this Gov’t accountable for the things they do…
Reunited! And it feels so good???
ahahahahahaha! classic. it is msot definitely what it is though!
You two are like football cheerleaders. You messing with the quart back…………………
LOL
Kim Swan and the Crew…. It is called Plan B!
Makes perfect sense, they should have done that from the beginning. Poor ole Kim Swan is singling….’Long Live the UBP!’
Oh well will watch this space and see what happens!
I’m a big fan of Mr. Barritt and Mr. Gibbons and hope they become Premier and Deputy Premier after the next general election. Not only are they intelligent and progressive minded, they exhibit great integrity and are proud of Bermuda’s historical significance.
Keep on keeping on and stay focused! All the best
Look Bermuda, its a reunion of the 40 Thieves, singing their new tune, HOTT off the press. Let’s see if Sir John backs this group. We know his son was a defector.
Oh the agony off this all.
The more things change, the more they stay the same
So using that logic, the PLP is still EB’s party just with a couple of different names.
And in other news Kim Swan, Dunkley and Suzann Roberts-Holshouser have also resigned. Waiting to see how this unfolds.
Just looking in my cristal ball, oh look! It’s Mr. Swan the Independant! He’ll get my vote!
So I guess now we have the SSP (Swan Song Party).
O.K. let’s get on with business……. there is lots to be done!
Kim Swan has resigned!
I think the article says he resigned as “Opposition Leader” that does not mean he has quit the UBP. So he is still a member of the UBP, but just not the official opposition leader.
If you can’t beat them , join them …
Ewart Brown is joining the “OBA”. Yes it has been confirmed. After ‘Misiking’ it Ex Premier Brown will now join the new “OBA” party.
Brown says ” This will be the new ‘Kryptonite’ era……………
Special Girl !!
Looks only like a name change !! Same Players, Same Game , I do not see how much chnage can come about if it is all the same old folks !! Whats in a name ? Rose is still a Rose ! Looks like the UBP only had to change their name, in the 1st place…. NO REAL CHANGE !!
Lana, when was the last time you could walk this island freely. Your concerns were nothing more than leaving thye puppy tied up in the back yard and your pantry was full of needed items.
The rose will be and it will bloom and then it will die off. Trim it when time deceids and watch it sprout as you await what you want to see when it is time.
I walk freely everyday dearest one ! there is no change,,,,, a lot of waste of time, as the UBP could have just changed their name in the 1st place !! Every political party has its ups and down, do good do not so good….recall the PLP sat in opposition for years, they did not go thru such drama as UPB are doing now ! They were also willing to accept they were the Opposition !
He is still a member of Parliament. Don’t you guys get it? And we wonder why we ask where we are……….
Where the hell is my needle…………..
Clearly there are still some people stuck on the PLP and don’t care about their country but I for one will be watching to see what the OBA can put together and deliver. I want an option for the next election so that I can see my country heading (being lead) in the right direction. And for my fellow PLP supporters, open your eyes and your minds, I have.
Finally a party that will provide the plp with an opposition!!!
The plp is just not what it used to be, ever since it got in power it got to full of itself and forgot what it stood for- serving the labour workers, ever since the plp was established it had my families vote- ewart was the final straw
Oba, yah got ma vote!!!!
#livefreebermuda!!!
OBA (obay) Me!
Or rather… OBEY!
BREAKING NOOZE……….Several members of the BDA/UBP have announced that an influx of “MA” members have signed on. (“MA” members are an an affilate of the old Tuckers Town and Point Shares diehard members of the UBP/NLP…….
With this breaking news, the OBA will become (if Grosney) affirms it the OBAMA.
A sauce in the Black House confirms that a meeting will be taking place and a C130 will be flying in Jerk Chicken ( from Jamaica) and Konk from Hong Konk. (Vallis Butterfool/MarketPlace) will supply imported carrotts and fresh gunja will be supplied by the Hogfish ‘Stop and Drop.’…….update will continue once we can get the Po Po from stopping us in our deliveries…..
Don’t forget…Stop by our new “Clear Visor” on Palmetto Road…..where you can get it washed with no waxing nor wanning….Its free…ride by………..
What is going on with the leaders of this community??? OBA should be called OBAD! It will cover all the Names it used to be! I went to lay down and woke up with the news of resignations, independent MP and whatever. Does any of those MP’s get it, that 47% of the voters elected them, and they are pussy footing around in the House! If you resign, then get out of the HOUSE!! Bermuda as a whole is suffering. Some elected members of the House is in country are in shambles. If the ‘heads’ get it wrong, then we the people have no-one to look up too! You call this fiasco ‘A STRONG OPPOSITION” It more of the same. They can’t even get their ownself together let alone be a Loyal Opposition to the Government. .
Terry,
Is it true that Dr. Ewart Brown has actually joined the OBA (Old Bad Asses)?
If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, last time I checked, IT IS A DAMN DUCK!!!!!! It’s the rebirth of the U damn B damn P for goodness sake! My prediction: the Milkman will be placed in a safe seat during the next election so he can get back in the Lower House and BAM, he’ll be the Opposition Leader again! Note Opposition Leader: God help us if he becomes Premier. God help Bermuda!
In the land where every white person is a racist and every black who is not PLP is a House N, and black foreigners who stand up have hearts of white folk and where labour unions protect employees who lie, and cheat and where politics is not driven by issues but rather race, a place where education has failed and the world is spinning us by, I welcome any new of possible change. After all, we know where we are going under the present government.