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MP Wayne Furbert's action in crossing the floor of the House and joining the PLP is an exercise in pointlessness and demonstrates a new low in Bermudian politics.

Sir Winston Churchill twice crossed the floor of the House of Commons in the U.K.. He went from Conservative to Liberal and then back to Conservative. In a sense, Wayne Furbert has done the same: From UBP to Independent then to PLP.

So he shares much with Sir Winston - except for one thing. One man is a political giant, the other barely casts a shadow, in political terms.

Wayne Furbert's first major display of the quality of his stature came when he left the post of leader of the UBP. A man of stature would have openly declared his position and publicly stated and fought his case. Wayne Furbert did neither.

Over time he alleged, he alluded, he hinted at deep underlying reasons; but he never stood tall and openly declared his reasons or cleanly and openly stated his case.

In June 2009, over the Uighurs and facing a clear constitutional and public morals issue, Wayne Furbert, in the House as an Independent and thus uniquely placed to take the high moral ground - did not do so.

Instead, in a convoluted half-defence of a highly questionable public action, he fell to the low ground and cut down his own integrity by waffling his way to a public defence of that action.

Shortly after that vote, in response to an e-mail from me, he and I spoke - at some length. Tortuously, he explained the rationale for his House words and deeds. To this day, I still do not have a clear understanding of the rationale for his action - and I am not stupid nor is he stupid or inarticulate.

His actions in joining the PLP are of little value, except that he will strengthen - by one - the Brown Camp.

Clearly, the PLP backbench is in the early stages of revolt or reaction against a PLP leadership that is clearly diverging from the broad mass of those people who last voted for the PLP.

Clearly, Wayne Furbert will not be joining and standing with the PLP's Mr. 'Integrity'. Instead, he will join that side that stands apart from Mr. 'Integrity'.

With now 23 votes in the House and a clear 13-vote majority on any national issue; am I - and this country - now to expect that henceforth crime will fall, the gunshots will cease, tourism will increase 50 per cent, national debt will quickly be paid off, and our economy will not slow down?

Will those things - or any one of those things - be the benefit that flows from this one man's action? I think not.

The past actions of Dr. Paul de la Chevotiere, who crossed from PLP to UBP, and Grace Bell who crossed from UBP to PLP, were actions accompanied by clear statements of principle that were believable - regardless of whether one supported and agreed, or opposed and disagreed.

MP Furbert's action is sordid and unprincipled.

Wayne Furbert is what he is.

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