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Golding narrows the gap on Holness

After back to back general election victories, is the JLP running out of steam?

According to the latest Don Anderson poll this may very well be the case.

At the JLP’s last party conference, former Leader Bruce Golding cautioned that both Andrew Holness and the party should be mindful not to squander its political capital.

Speaking about Holness at the time, Golding said: “I said to him as my leader, as my successor and as my friend, you have the political capital. Don’t be afraid to use it. It is necessary to use it because if you don’t use it, you will lose it.” 

Holness will now have to take heed.

A number of scandals have seen to the erosion of public trust. There was Andrew Wheatley and Petrojam, J.C. Hutchinson and nepotism, George Wright and the physical abuse of a woman, Ruel Reid and the CMU scandal, contracts being awarded to CCA Capital Partners, Grace Mc Lean and the loss of $124 million of government funds, the SSL fraud scandal. 

These scars have taken their toll.

Only last month the Government took the decision to award MPs a whopping 200 per cent pay rise at a time when police, nurses and other civil servants have to settle for minimum increases over years.

Given this backdrop, the latest Don Anderson poll is not surprising.

Here are the notable takeaways.

The pollster went into the field between June 8th and June 14th with a sample size of 1012.

The question was asked: Is the current Government leading the country in the right or wrong direction?

• 53.3% – wrong direction
• 15.6% – right direction 
• 31% – not sure 

How people view party leaders

• Mark Golding-53.2%
• Andrew Holness-54.4%

Is the Governing party deserving of another term in office?

• No- 47.6%
• Yes- 31.6%
• Unsure-20.8%

Main issues affecting the country

• Crime & violence – 45 %
• High cost of living -16%
• Unemployment – 16%
• Corruption – 6%
• Unemployment of young people-3%

Speaking to former Jamaican pollster Winston Reid who once worked for YouGov, he said: “ Don Anderson has a stellar reputation and these findings are remarkable and cause for concern for the JLP. Mark Golding is fast closing the gap and this time next year it will not be surprising to see him overtaking Andrew Holness who less than two years ago was seen as impregnable. Golding has gone about his leadership quietly but assiduously and is winning favour with the Jamaican people. He has proved the PNP doesn’t need Lisa Hanna, perhaps she can get work at Krispy Kreme after throwing her toys out of the pram! There is still work for the PNP to do. They have to win the next general election emphatically rather than the JLP lose it if you know what I mean.

“Crime and violence is a big issue for Jamaicans and the JLP has been unable to tame that beast. If inflation doesn’t climb down significantly it could prove problematic for this JLP Government. Some say Holness should have been more fulsome with his Cabinet changes. All he did was promote Daryl Vaz and sent the old bulls Audley Shaw and Karl Samuda to pasture. A clear signal that he meant to go about things differently would have been to bring in new personnel and make significant changes. Holness knows the shin is rubbing off the ball. He has to act fast. 

“The question is, will the JLP throw a quick general election or will this poll see the party become cautious and wait for the tide to turn again in their favour? How bold is Andrew Holness? Will he come out guns blazing and have a general election this year, thus cutting off the PNP’s momentum or will he be cautious and wait till 2025, hoping the economy then will be much stronger and talk of politicians’ pay increases would have dissipated?