2 weeks ago
23
More Jamaicans say they trust Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness than those who say they do not.
That’s according to the latest Nationwide/Bluedot poll, powered by Total Tools.
But despite managing to maintain the trust of a plurality of voters, those who say they do not trust the Prime Minister remains relatively high.
George Davis reports.
The prime minister has faced an avalanche of negative headlines and relentless attacks from the parliamentary opposition over the last few months.
He’s also in the middle of a high stakes legal battle with the country’s main anti-corruption body, the Integrity Commission, over his finances.
There were fears among Labourites that these challenges would seriously affect public perception of the two-term prime minister, who’s gunning for a third.
But Dr. Holness is showing signs of resilience. When the Bluedot pollsters asked 1,500 registered voters to rate their level of trust in Dr. Holness, 47 per cent said they trusted him. Forty-three per cent of the respondents said they do not trust Holness. Eleven per cent was unsure.
The 47 per cent who said they trust the prime minister is unchanged from the September 2024 finding. Notably, that 47 per cent is the highest level of trust recorded in the prime minister since February 2023, when it stood at 43 per cent.
The pollsters say this suggests the Jamaican people have formed a solidified view of Holness.
It should also be noted that distrust in Holness has been steadily declining. It peaked at a high of 51 per cent in September 2023.
When gender is thrown into the mix, Dr. Holness enjoys the highest level of trust among women. Forty-eight per cent of women trust the prime minister. Forty per cent distrust him. Twelve per cent said they were unsure.
Men are equally divided. Forty-five per cent say they do not trust Holness. The same number, 45 per cent, say they do. Ten per cent was unsure.
Dr. Holness has also been able to secure significant levels of trust among three key age demographics. Forty-nine per cent of voters over 65-years-old say they trust the prime minister. Thirty-nine per cent do not.
A majority of voters, 52 per cent, aged 55-to-64 say they trust Holness. Forty per cent do not.
Forty-nine per cent of young people aged 18-to-24 also say they trust the prime minister. Thirty-seven per cent say they do not.
The highest level of distrust in Holness was found among voters 25-to-34, where it stands at 47 per cent.
The Nationwide/Bluedot polls were conducted between January 21 and February 1. It has a margin of error of +/- 2.5 per cent.
Trust for PM Low Among Unaffiliated Voters
Meanwhile, the prime minister has significant work to do to win the trust of unaffiliated voters.
Nearly 50 per cent of them say they do not trust him. That’s compared to the 32 per cent of unaffiliated voters who say they trust him. Nineteen per cent of unaffiliated voters were unsure.
Partisan polarisation is also playing a significant role in the data.
Dr. Holness has locked down significant levels of trust among his Jamaica Labour Party base. Eighty-four per cent of Labourites say they trust the man they call ‘Brogad’.
Eleven per cent of the Labourites say they do not trust Holness. Five per cent was unsure.
Seventy-six per cent of PNP supporters say they do not trust the prime minister, but interestingly 19 per cent of Comrades say they trust Holness. Five per cent of them said they were unsure.
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