Progressive Labour Party announces two MPs will not contest the next Feb 18th General Election

The Hon. Derrick Burgess, JP, MP, our long-serving Member of Parliament from Constituency 5,
Hamilton East, has decided that this is the time for him to step away from public politics after serving
in the House of Assembly since 1998. MP Burgess has served in various Cabinet positions, as well
as Deputy Premier. His labour roots, which led him to the Presidency of the Bermuda Industrial
Union, enabled him to be an ardent voice for the workers of Bermuda, and a dedicated advocate for
the principles of the Progressive Labour Party. We thank "Cousin Derrick" for his nearly 27 years of
service, and we wish him the best in his retirement.


Wayne Caines, JP, MP, our Member of Parliament for Constituency 14, Devonshire North West, will
also be stepping away from service in the House of Assembly. Mr. Caines served as our Minister of
National Security from 2017-2020, and has been the MP for this area since 2017. Prior to this
appointment, MP Caines was also appointed as a Senator for the PLP in 2006 . We thank Mr.
Caines for his leadership and contributions, and we wish him well as he continues his work in the
private sector.


Party Leader David Burt said, “Being a representative is a significant sacrifice, and I pay homage to
MP Burgess for his many years of service. Cousin Derrick has been on the front line of fighting for
better conditions for workers, and those in our community who need a champion. He has served in
many roles in our party, and I wish him the very best in his well-deserved retirement.”
The Party Leader continued, “I am sad to see Wayne step away at this time, but I’m sure it’s more of
a pause than a retirement. I thank him for his support of the Party and look forward to working with
him as we continue to advance the mission of the Bermuda Progressive Labour Party to deliver a
fairer Bermuda”.


The Party anticipates the announcement of new candidates by the end of this week. The constituents
of C5 and C14 can be assured that whoever their new candidates will be will give the same
dedication and commitment to their constituencies as Messrs. Burgess and Caines have given. The
Party will not be making any further comment on the internal selection process.