Bermuda Premier to step down

Bermuda's Premier Ewart Brown is to step down as a Member of Parliament and leader of the Progressive Labour Party (PLP) in October.



Brown has bid farewell to the House of Assembly saying he regrets that the island has not achieved independence.



In an address in the assembly, he described his tenure as successful, saying that much had been achieved during that time.



On the issue of independence, Brown said that the veil of affluence had numbed the people's senses, causing them not to understand the psychological freedom that would accompany independence.



Deputy Premier and Finance Minister Paula Cox is the front-runner in opinion polls to replace Brown as Premier.