Political Career
Swan contested four general elections over a 25 year period before winning a seat in the House of Assembly of Bermuda in December 2007. Swan served the UBP in the Senate of Bermuda for 9 years (1998–2007) and became Opposition Senate Leader in 2001 and served as Senate Leader under four Opposition Leaders until his election to Parliament. Following his election to the Bermuda House of Assembly on December 18, 2007, Swan became Leader of the Party and on January 21, 2008 was sworn in as Leader of the Opposition by the Governor of Bermuda, Sir Richard Gozney KCMG and served until May 16, 2011.
The United Bermuda Party was in negotiations with the Bermuda Democratic Alliance. Following a vote by the Central Council of the United Bermuda Party to disband on May 3, 2011, several general members of the United Bermuda Party expressed concern that there were no special general meeting in any of the 36 branches. Swan and others petitioned the party executive to hold a public meeting, these pleas were ignored. When Swan and the others attempts to convene a disputes tribunal under section 13 of the United Bermuda Party constitution were also ignored by the party executive, Swan together with Charles Swan MP, three other former Party Chairman and others on May 10, 2011 successfully filed an injunction in the courts preventing the United Bermuda Party from disbanding.
On May 15, 2011 Swan was notified that seven members of his eight parliamentary colleagues had resigned to form the merger with the Bermuda Democratic Alliance. Swan immediately notified the Governor of Bermuda Sir Richard Gozney KCMG and resigned as Leader of the Opposition. Swan and the others decided to drop the injunction to permit the United Bermuda Party executive to settle its affairs. However, he continued to represent the ideals of the United Bermuda Party in the House of Assembly and said he planned to rebuild the Party. When the House of Assembly was dissolved for the December 17, 2012 election, he ran as an independent but finished third receiving 23% of the vote behind the 39% garnered by the new One Bermuda Alliance who narrowly bested the 38% received by the Progressive Labour Party candidate, in the only constituency where the winner received less than 40% of the votes cast.
References:
1.<^ Ruth O'Kelly-Lynch (2008-01-21). "Swan elected new UBP leader". The Royal Gazette. http://www.royalgazette.com/article/20080121/NEWS/301219956>^
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