Bermudan general election, 2007

The 2007 Bermudan general election was held in Bermuda on 18 December 2007. The campaign was the longest in the history of Bermuda and was hard fought between the two political parties. The Progressive Labour Party (PLP) won a third term in power with 22 seats, as against 14 for the opposition United Bermuda Party (UBP).

Bermuda gained internal self government with the introduction of a constitution in 1968 and for the first 30 years afterwards the United Bermuda Party was in power. Their domination was broken by defeat in the 1998 election leading to the Progressive Labour Party coming to power for the first time. The last election in 2003 saw the Progressive Labour Party remain in power, winning 22 seats compared to 14 seats for the United Bermuda Party.

Bermuda remains a British overseas territory; independence was rejected in a referendum in 1995. However, in 2004 the then Premier of Bermuda, called for a debate on independence to take place.

Ewart Brown became Premier in October 2006 after defeating the incumbent, William Alexander Scott, in a contest for the leadership of the Progressive Labour Party, while in March 2007 Michael Dunkley became leader of the opposition United Bermuda Party after the previous leader Wayne Furbert was ousted.

At the beginning of November 2007 the Premier, Ewart Brown, announced that the election would be held on 18 December. Both main parties put up 36 candidates and there were two independent candidates. Altogether 42,337 people were registered to vote with each constituency having about 1,100 voters. An opinion poll in the summer had put the United Bermuda Party on 40%, the Progressive Labour Party on 34% and 26% undecided. Analysts saw 7 of the 36 seats as likely to be close.

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