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Brown and Furbert: head to head

Date Posted: Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Author: Walton Brown Jr.

Sometime this year voters will likely decide which party they want to govern them for the next four years. The UBP face a formidable challenge in the newly invigorated PLP under Dr Ewart Brown; but the island’s governing party need take nothing for granted in their effort to win a third general election. When voters decide they will base their decisions on a combination of factors: candidate choice, including choice of leader, party platform and feelings about the parties themselves. In the first of a series of articles on the political landscape I assess the respective leaders of the PLP and UBP.

Successive opinions polls taken by my research company, Research Innovations, point to a clear electoral victory for the PLP were an election held today. This can be attributed to the election of Ewart Brown (cousin of the writer) as leader of the PLP at the party’s annual conference last October and the attendant boost in support; under former leader Alex Scott the PLP could only muster a marginal lead. For its part, the UBP have not gained any momentum by replacing former leader Dr Grant Gibbons with Wayne Furbert; and Mr Furbert himself is currently languishing in the political doldrums with low poll ratings and an embarrassing set of resignations by prominent black members, who accuse the party of racism.

The PLP’s Ewart Brown

Without a doubt the leader of a party is the most visible face of that party, the focal point of media attention and the force to rally the troops. In Premier Brown the PLP have a charismatic, bright and articulate leader; and under his tenure the PLP machinery has moved to a new level of professionalism. His track record of achieving his goals as Tourism and Transport Minister lend credence to his statement that things will get done under his watch. Brown’s style is considerably different from any previous leader and this is not surprising given his background. Here is a man who spent over 20 years in the United States; one who was active on a number of fronts and who also developed extensive contacts within and around the Democratic political machinery and black political activism. Premier Brown brings an American approach to politics but it has to fit within the Westminster political democracy we have. And so while his style may be “presidential” his power is necessarily constrained by our parliamentary constitutional framework.

This US connection has also contoured some of the discourse on race, an expected outcome of Brown’s close ties to black American political and economic power brokers. This connection, however, has the potential to lead to missteps in terms of policy, direction and approach in Premier Brown’s Government: what works well for black politicians in America may not do as well here. The obvious caveats here are two-fold: (1) the demographic and socio-political conditions differ vastly and (2) American strategies for confronting racism are not necessarily suited to Bermuda. Premier Brown has the potential to achieve great things for Bermuda but his approach can at times be polarizing.

This is reflected in his approval ratings of about 50%, which stand in sharp contrast to the 80% approval ratings—and honeymoon periods—enjoyed by his predecessors, Jennifer Smith and Alex Scott, when they first took office. As leader, Brown can utilize his power to build support while accomplishing important policy objectives for the country. The extent to which he is able to accomplish this will in part determine his longevity as leader.

Wayne Furbert and the Challenge of Leadership

Mr Wayne Furbert will not likely last much longer as leader of the UBP. Observers across the political spectrum will agree on Furbert’s strengths: he is eminently likable, sincere, and has worked hard to improve his party’s fortunes. Regrettably for him commentators will also agree he lacks the three characteristic so readily apparent in his opponent. Even more crippling, Mr Furbert has failed to conceal the divisions within his party from the glare of public scrutiny and the UBP now seem to be stumbling down the election road when they were fit and ready a few short months ago. In terms of polling results, Wayne Furbert favorability ratings have declined significantly—now hovering around 20%. Such a low result effectively means only a small proportion of voters endorse him for the job as leader of the UBP.

What explains, then, the choice of Furbert as leader in the first place? First elected to the House in 1993 when the UBP still governed, Furbert served as a Cabinet Minister for five years until the UBP were relegated to the Opposition benches in 1998. As one who always wanted the leadership position, Furbert sat patiently under Pamela Gordon’s and then Grant Gibbons’s tenures as leader. The opportunity presented itself to Mr Furbert when pressure was brought to bear on Dr Gibbons to step down and make way for new leadership. As they did in 1982, when John Swan was elected leader, the UBP concluded they needed to have a black leader in order win the next election; the party brass chose Furbert over the more senior Maxwell Burgess—who is also black—but for all intents and purposes did not seem to seriously consider good potential candidates in John Barritt and Michael Dunkley, who happen to be white.

This use of the race card has now backfired with Member of Parliament Jamahl Simmons, former party chairman Gwyneth Rawlins and businessman David Dunkley all quitting and stating racism is rampant within. Cumulatively, this has weakened Mr Furbert’s claim to lead a racially united party and will no doubt cast its shadow on the upcoming general election.

The next article will assess the parties’ respective philosophies.

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