2 weeks ago
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A majority of unaffiliated voters say they do not trust the government. That’s according to the latest Nationwide/Bluedot polls, powered by Total Tools.
The majority is slightly more than those in the same demographic who say they also do not trust Prime Minister Andrew Holness.
George Davis has the details.
Unaffiliated, or so-called independent voters, have taken on mythical status in Jamaican politics.
The pundits, some of whom think they are making the most profound statement ever, often say those are the voters who can swing an election.
If that is true, Holness and his government have work to do.
They may be in a spot of political bother. That’s because 51 per cent of unaffiliated voters told the Bluedot pollsters they don’t trust the government. That’s just above the 50 per cent of the same cohort who say they do not trust Prime Minister Andrew Holness.
Only 30 per cent of the key voting bloc say they trust the Holness government. Nineteen per cent of them were unsure.
But despite a majority of unaffiliated voters saying they do not trust the government, overall trust in the government has moved up by two percentage points since February last year. It moved from 43 per cent then to 45 per cent now.
But considering the poll’s margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 per cent, the movement is considered negligible.
Notably, the prime minister is no longer significantly more trusted than the government he leads. Forty-seven percent of voters say they trust him. That’s two percentage points more than the 45 per cent who trust the government as a whole. Again, negligible.
There’s also been a slight decline in those who say they distrust the government, falling from 45 per cent in September last year. The level of distrust in the government now stands at 43 per cent.
When political affiliation is considered, unsurprisingly, 70 per cent of People’s National Party, PNP, supporters say they do not trust the Holness administration. Twenty-three per cent of PNP supporters say they trust the government, while eight per cent were unsure.
Labourites are showing high levels of trust in the government, with 81 per cent of that cohort indicating they trust their party. Only 13 per cent of Labourites expressed distrust, while six per cent were unsure.
The Nationwide/Bluedot polls were conducted among 1,500 registered voters between January 21 and February 1. It has a margin of error of +/- 2.5 percent.
Older Demographic Show Most Trust in Gov’t
Meanwhile, the government enjoys its highest level of trust among voters aged 55-to-64 years. That stands at 49 per cent.
Forty per cent say they do not trust the Holness government. Voters over 65 followed closely behind, with 48 per cent of them saying they trusted the government.
Thirty-seven per cent of seniors say they do not trust the Holness government. Forty-six per cent of voters 18-24 years old say they trust the government. Forty-two per cent do not.
The highest level of distrust in the government was recorded among voters 25-to-34. That stands at 47 per cent.
When it comes to gender, the difference in trust is negligible.
Forty-six per cent of women say they trust the government, compared to 45 per cent of men who said the same.
Distrust among men was slightly higher, with 44 per cent indicating they do not trust the government, compared to the 41 per cent of women who said the same.
Thirteen percent of women were unsure and 11 per cent of men said the same.
English (US) ·