by PLP Spokesperson

MP Fahy.

I read your recent editorial, and I appreciate the opportunity to engage in a conversation about the challenges facing our democracy. Like you, I believe that political discourse should be based on substance rather than personal attacks. 🤝

However, I also believe that accountability matters, and if we are going to have an honest discussion about the state of our politics, we must start with the facts. 📊✅

🗳️ You raised concerns about voter apathy and disenfranchisement. I agree that declining voter engagement is a challenge that all of us, regardless of party, must address. Democracy works best when all voices are heard, and ensuring young people and overseas students have full access to the ballot is a discussion worth having.

That's why we committed to making absentee voting available to our students and Bermudians seconded overseas in our platform. 📩✈️

But let’s be clear: voter disengagement doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It has significantly impacted your political organization for three consecutive General Elections and countless by-elections. 🏛️ Your voter base has diminished to the point of pushing the OBA to last place in multiple constituencies.

That is why your omission of one of the most significant political crises in recent history—the protests against Pathways to Status—is so striking. 🤔

🚨 In 2016, thousands of Bermudians took to the streets, blockaded Parliament, and demanded that their voices be heard. They weren’t manipulated. They weren’t misled. They were simply standing up for their right to have a say in the future of their own country.

🔎 Your government’s response?
❌ Dismiss their concerns
❌ Refuse to consult
❌ Ultimately forced to submit to the will of the people

And yet, to this day, you have never truly acknowledged that Pathways to Status was not just poorly communicated—it was fundamentally out of step with what the vast majority of Bermudians wanted. There was no apology for the policy itself, no admission that it ignored the deep concerns of working Bermudians. Instead, you have repeatedly framed it as a failure of messaging rather than a failure to listen.

🎭 That is precisely the kind of dismissiveness that breeds the very voter apathy you now lament.

🗳️ You also suggest that the PLP’s electoral success is the result of fearmongering, rather than an earned mandate from the people. This is deeply disrespectful to the voters of Bermuda.

📢 Let us be clear: The PLP was returned to office because Bermudians made a choice. They saw a government that had:
💰 Prioritized the wealthy
⚖️ Ignored their concerns on immigration
🗣️ Left them feeling unheard

That is not political manipulation—it is your record and democracy in action.

⚠️ Finally, you decry what you see as a pattern of smearing and negative attacks. Yet, for years, the OBA has engaged in relentless efforts to paint the PLP as corrupt, despite the fact that allegations must be backed by facts, not just rhetoric. 📑🔍

📌 So, if we are going to have a real discussion about accountability, let’s apply it across the board.

🚨 The public has yet to receive a full explanation for:
🛩️ The JetGate scandal that saw a Premier resign in disgrace
✈️ The decision to sign away our airport in a deal that will cost taxpayers for decades

If we are going to demand transparency, let’s demand it from everyone, not just those we disagree with politically.

📣 So yes, let’s elevate the conversation. Let’s reject smears and engage in a real dialogue about the issues that matter. But that dialogue must start with honesty—about our past, about our decisions, and about the consequences they had for the people of Bermuda.

🇧🇲 Because Bermudians deserve nothing less.