NNN/Bluedot Poll: Dr. Nigel Clarke was Average as Finance Minister

A plurality of Jamaicans, 25 per cent, say finance minister, Dr. Nigel Clarke, has been average at his job. That’s the finding of the latest Nationwide/Bluedot poll, powered by Total Tools.

The poll was conducted between September 6 and 19.

It has a margin of error of +/- 3 per cent.

The finding comes as Dr. Clarke prepares to demit office after six years in charge of the county’s finances.

George Davis reports.

Nigel Clarke’s performance over the last six years has received international praise.

Local private sector leaders have also largely credited the job the Munro College and Oxford educated Mathematician has done since Prime Minister Holness appointed him finance minister in 2018.

But as Dr. Clarke heads to Washington D.C. to take up the post of deputy managing director of the IMF, Jamaicans do not appear to be very impressed with the job he’s done.

The Bluedot pollsters asked 1,246 respondents to rate Clarke’s performance as finance minister over the last six years.

They were asked to rate Dr. Clarke’s performance on a scale of one to 10, with zero being the lowest, 10 being the highest and five….average.

Twenty-five per cent said he did an average job. Eighteen per cent of respondents gave Clarke the lowest rating of zero. Only 13 per cent thought the finance minister has done an excellent job, giving him a rating of 10.

Among respondents who said they were neither Jamaica Labour Party, JLP, nor People’s National Party, PNP, supporters, 23 per cent of this demographic rated Clarke’s performance at five.

Fifteen per cent of unaffiliated respondents say his performance was extremely poor, rating him a zero, while 13 per cent of the unaffiliated thought he deserved an excellent rating of 10.

Respondents who identified themselves as PNP supporters were the most critical of Clarke’s stewardship. Twenty-four per cent of them gave him the lowest rating of zero. Twenty per cent of the PNP supporters say Clarke was average, and 10 per cent rated him at a high of 10.

Respondents who identified themselves as JLP supporters rallied to Clarke’s cause. Thirty-six percent of them said he has been an excellent finance minister.

Fourteen per cent of Labourites say Clarke has been average, while 5 per cent gave him the lowest possible grade of zero.

After a string of goodies for seniors in the last budget Clarke presented, it’s perhaps no surprise then that seniors over 65 had the most favourable opinion of the job he’s done. Middle aged respondents were more likely to be critical.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness is expected to name Clarke’s replacement any day now. Dr. Clarke is expected to take up his new post in Washington D.C. at the end of October.