1 month ago
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A plurality of Jamaicans, 44 per cent, say the country is headed in the wrong direction under the Holness administration.
That’s according to the latest Nationwide/Bluedot poll, powered by Total Tools.
While the figure is unchanged from the February 2024 edition of the polls, a deep dive into the data reveals warning signs for the government.
George Davis has more in this report.
The past week saw Prime Minister Andrew Holness receiving some of the worst headlines of his premiership, arising from the recent Integrity Commission report.
And in the wake of that bad week, the Bluedot pollsters have returned more bad news.
They asked 1,246 registered voters whether they believed the country was heading in the right or wrong direction. A significant segment of the electorate, 44 per cent, says Jamaica is on the wrong track.
That’s compared to 27 per cent who said the country was headed in the right direction and 29 per cent who responded they weren’t sure.
The 44 per cent has held steady since February 2024, while there has been a single percentage point drop in those who say the country is headed in the right direction, moving from 28 per cent in February 2024, to 27 per cent in September 2024.
There are signs even Labourites are starting to waver.
Among Jamaicans who identify as JLP supporters, the Bluedot pollsters found a four percentage point increase in those who say the country is headed in the wrong direction under their party’s stewardship.
Labourite’s pessimism grew from 16 per cent in February 2024, to 20 per cent in September.
There’s also been a three percentage point dip among Labourites who believe Jamaica is on the right track, moving from 60 per cent in February 2024 to 57 per cent in September 2024.
Respondents who identified themselves as supporters of the opposition People’s National Party, PNP, continue to express significant pessimism about the direction of the country, with 68 per cent of those respondents indicating Jamaica is on the wrong track.
That’s virtually unchanged from the 69 per cent recorded in February.
If there’s any crumb of comfort for the Jamaica Labour Party, JLP, it’s this: respondents who indicated they were not affiliated with either party expressed more optimism, with a five percentage point increase in those who say the country is headed in the right direction.
That figure moved from 13 per cent in February to 18 per cent in September 2024.
Unaffiliated voters who say the country is headed in the wrong direction fell from 48 per cent in February to 45 per cent in September.
But perhaps the loudest warning bells ring for the JLP in the finding of an 18 percentage point increase in the number of Jamaicans who believe the country is headed in the wrong direction since 2021.
This means over the life of Holness’ second term in office, the mood of the Jamaican people has steadily soured on the direction the country is heading in.
Unless the government can reverse that trend and do so fast, the third term may not materialise for Holness and company.
The Nationwide/Bluedot poll, powered by Total Tools, was conducted between September 6 and 19. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 per cent.
English (US) ·