William Alexander Scott
Encyclopedia
William Alexander "Alex" Scott JP, MP (born 1940) is a politician in Bermuda
who is the MP
for the Warwick South East constituency. Between 2003 and 2006 he served as the Premier of Bermuda and leader of the Progressive Labour Party
(PLP).
Scott's political career began in 1985 when he was appointed to the Senate
; in 1989, he was promoted to Opposition Leader in the Senate. In 1993 he successfully ran for Parliament for the Warwick East constituency. In 1998, during the PLP's unprecedented win in Parliament, he was appointed to Cabinet as the Minister of Works & Engineering. Perhaps the most memorable event of his term was the construction of a new high school campus for the Berkeley Institute, a project with suffered significant overruns, contracting irregularities and work delays.
He was appointed Premier (and, thus, leader of the PLP) on 29 July 2003. The party had been re-elected in that year's parliamentary elections, but its leader, Dame Jennifer Meredith Smith, was overthrown hours after the election results were certified when a schism in the elected members of the party surfaced. With the two sides split 13 members each, Smith agreed to step aside with Scott as the compromise leader.
The hallmarks of his premiership were the promotion of a Social Agenda and the launch of an unpopular drive for Independence from the United Kingdom
. Supporters believed he wished to spread Bermuda's wealth amongst the population, while critics charged that the Scott administration was racially divisive, autocratic, and lacked accountability.
Scott was never successful in unifying the factions in the party and he was ousted, by a vote of 107-76, in a leadership challenge by his Deputy Premier, Dr. Ewart Brown
, during a PLP delegates conference on October 27, 2006.
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
who is the MP
House of Assembly of Bermuda
The House of Assembly is the lower house of the Parliament of Bermuda. The house has 36 members, each elected for a five year term in a single seat constituencies....
for the Warwick South East constituency. Between 2003 and 2006 he served as the Premier of Bermuda and leader of the Progressive Labour Party
Progressive Labour Party (Bermuda)
The Progressive Labour Party is a political party in Bermuda. It has been in power since 1998, winning subsequent elections in 2003 and 2007.- Formation :...
(PLP).
Scott's political career began in 1985 when he was appointed to the Senate
Senate of Bermuda
The Senate is one of two parts of the Parliament of Bermuda, the other being the House of Assembly. Both are overseen by the Governor. The Senate is the Upper House of the Parliament, and serves as a House of Review....
; in 1989, he was promoted to Opposition Leader in the Senate. In 1993 he successfully ran for Parliament for the Warwick East constituency. In 1998, during the PLP's unprecedented win in Parliament, he was appointed to Cabinet as the Minister of Works & Engineering. Perhaps the most memorable event of his term was the construction of a new high school campus for the Berkeley Institute, a project with suffered significant overruns, contracting irregularities and work delays.
He was appointed Premier (and, thus, leader of the PLP) on 29 July 2003. The party had been re-elected in that year's parliamentary elections, but its leader, Dame Jennifer Meredith Smith, was overthrown hours after the election results were certified when a schism in the elected members of the party surfaced. With the two sides split 13 members each, Smith agreed to step aside with Scott as the compromise leader.
The hallmarks of his premiership were the promotion of a Social Agenda and the launch of an unpopular drive for Independence from the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Supporters believed he wished to spread Bermuda's wealth amongst the population, while critics charged that the Scott administration was racially divisive, autocratic, and lacked accountability.
Scott was never successful in unifying the factions in the party and he was ousted, by a vote of 107-76, in a leadership challenge by his Deputy Premier, Dr. Ewart Brown
Ewart Brown
Ewart Frederick Brown, Jr. was Premier of Bermuda and leader of the Progressive Labour Party from 2006 and 2010. He served as Member of Parliament for the constituency of Warwick South Central for 17 years until his retirement from politics in October 2010.Brown was elected leader of the ruling...
, during a PLP delegates conference on October 27, 2006.