NNN/Bluedot Poll: 38% Have No Strong Feelings About Management of Economy Post-Dr Clarke

Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr. Nigel Clarke (left), and Managing Director, International Finance Corporation (IFC), Makhtar Diop (centre), display signed copies of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) formalising the IFC as Jamaica’s strategic advisor on a portfolio of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects. They are joined by IFC Vice President for Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, Alfonso García Mora, who observed the signing, which took place at the Ministry’s offices in Kingston on Tuesday (September 3).

Thirty-eight per cent of respondents of the latest Nationwide/Bluedot poll, powered by Total Tools say they have no strong feelings as to whether the Holness government will be able to effectively manage the country’s economic affairs in Nigel Clarke’s absence.

Those respondents indicated they were neutral on the question.

Interestingly, 36 per cent of respondents expressed low confidence in the administration’s ability post Dr. Clarke.

That number either indicated they had no confidence at all or they were not very confident in the government’s ability without Dr. Clarke.

Twenty-six per cent say they remained confident the government could still manage without Dr. Clarke.

Again, People’s National Party, PNP, supporters are overwhelmingly negative in their assessment of the government.

Fifty-four per cent of them expressed low confidence that the administration would be able to manage the economy well without Dr. Clarke.

Only 12 per cent of comrades expressed confidence that the economy would be managed well once Dr. Clarke leaves.

Fifty-one per cent of Labourites believe the economy will be managed effectively after Clarke’s departure. Twenty-eight per cent were neutral and 21 per cent expressed low confidence.

The overall neutrality appears to be driven by unaffiliated voters, 49 per cent of whom say they were neutral on the question.

Thirty-five per cent of this cohort were not confident, while 16 per cent of unaffiliated respondents say they were confident the Jamaica Labour Party could manage.

Older voters expressed more confidence about the government’s ability to effectively manage after Dr. Clarke, while the younger respondents expressed more scepticism.