Shadow Cabinet approval ratings

Earlier this year I ran a poll inviting you to rate the performance of each member of the Cabinet (the results can be found here). As I pointed out at the time, the regular opinion polls commissioned by the Royal Gazette only consider the Premier and the Leader of the Opposition. In my opinion, however, the overall ability of each party’s MPs is just as important.

It’s been five months since Wayne Furbert assumed the leadership of the UBP and shuffled the Shadow Cabinet. Now that the party’s MPs have had chance to settle into their new portfolios, it’s time to say how you think they’re doing.

You can take the survey here. Note that the questions ask only how satisfied you are with the way they're handling their portfolios, not how you feel about them personally.

Comments

[novote on 13.06.06 at 01:19]

You need to include another category: "Are they actually doing this job?"

There are some that are so invisible, inaudible and ineffective that the categories on offer are totally inadequate.

[The Right Reverend Uncle Elvis on 13.06.06 at 09:17]

Just took the survey and, granted, only 26 people have taken it so far, the results are quite telling.

It seems to be around the middle, "Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied".

This should scare the crap out of the UBP. It really isn't good enough to sit back and wait and this survey shows it.

Get a move on folks. We need leaders.

[Martin on 13.06.06 at 19:11]

In all honesty, I found it difficult to be truely objective.

Why? I think because some of these names are simple not "in the news" and whilst they may be doing a good job, the evidence is simply not there to support that.

We need an Opposition that is more high profile. With the possibility of an election sooner rather than later, one would expect to see a concerted effort to be "out there".

[SmokingGun on 13.06.06 at 19:13]

Ditto. I was neither nor pretty much all the way.

[Bundy & Coke on 13.06.06 at 22:03]

70 votes now and it seems to be going along the lines mentioned by Elvis. I had not heard of many of the shadow ministers, which doesn't help. All I could consider was their apparent silence on issues affecting their portfolio.

I don't know that they are doing a bad job necessarily but they need to be seen to be doing a good job. This means building a relationship with the media - it is often through them that you build a relationship with voters. Learn to do that properly and express views clearly rather than seeming to only knock the government without proposing solutions. Maybe there are policies but we don't often get to hear them. (Credit to Wayne Furbert for getting on the discussion on Limey this week - maybe his ministers need to follow suit).

[Phil on 13.06.06 at 23:18]

What is the job of a member of the Shadow Cabinet?

In my opinion, it’s threefold:

1. To critique the performance of the Minister they are shadowing.

2. To come up with innovative ideas for tackling the issues in their portfolio.

3. Where appropriate, to work with members of the Government to effect change.

It is in the interest of the Shadow Minister to do all of these things publicly. If critiques are rendered in private, the Shadow Minister may be perceived by the public as ineffective. If ideas are reserved until election time, the public may mistake them for cynical electioneering. If cooperation with the Government is performed behind closed doors, the public may think that the Opposition are always critical, never constructive.

Thus, part of the job of a member of the Shadow Cabinet is also to make himself heard. If I don’t know whether a Shadow Minister is doing a good job or not, as far as I am concerned that means he isn’t.

Neville Darrell is the worst offender here. There is so much that is wrong with public education in Bermuda, yet Mr. Darrell is rarely heard on the radio or quoted in the newspaper. Similarly, what is Trevor Moniz doing to encourage Bermuda’s telecoms industry to improve the speed and reduce the cost of broadband internet access? What happened to Jamahl Simmons’ PEACE on the roads initiative? And why does from Michael Dunkley never seem to say anything in his capacity as Deputy Leader?

The readers of this site are probably some of the most politically-aware people in Bermuda. If even we don’t know what half the members of the UBP are up to, what are the chances of the less political knowing?

In my opinion, the UBP’s biggest failure continues to be a failure to communicate. The Shadow Ministers need to devote more energy to making themselves heard, particularly in the mainstream media. Having a web site or blog wouldn’t hurt either.

[Bundy & Coke on 14.06.06 at 01:29]

Well said Limey. Communication is such a critical part of politics and neither government not opposition seem to be close to mastering this skill. Maybe there's an assumption that in somewhere so small, word will just get around. Doesn't seem to be working though.

[JJ on 14.06.06 at 07:29]

Agree Limey on Darrell. He has had such fertile ground over the last year and could have torn Lister to shreds. Actually, thinking about it, I can't even remember what he looks like.

[Student on 15.06.06 at 12:37]

Any merit in using a poll to gauge opinion of backbenchers, Limey?