Black and white Bermudians alike are calling on Michael Dunkley to prioritise uniting the island, according to a poll.

The survey, compiled by Total Research Associates, presented a series of questions to 400 Bermudians — with quotas placed on age, race and gender to accurately mirror the broader population.

It posed the open-ended question: “In your view, what is the biggest challenge facing the Premier today?”

The most popular answer, at 16 per cent overall, was uniting the people and offering more support for Bermudians — with 17 per cent of black respondents and 16 per cent of white respondents selecting this reply.

The second most popular answer was addressing the economy, at 13 per cent overall (12 per cent black, 16 per cent white) and third was alleviating unemployment at 8 per cent overall (8 per cent black, 3 per cent white).

In a pre-Cup Match speech on Monday night, Mr Dunkley conceded that the Bermuda Government must do a better job communicating, adding that “we’re working hard every day to do that”.

“We will do more to prepare people for the opportunities coming our way, in all sectors of the economy,” he said. “We will continue working hard in communities across the island to break the cycle of violence that is hurting so many, and to help young Bermudians find their way.”

The survey, conducted from a call centre in Ontario, Canada, also showed the One Bermuda Alliance holding a clear lead among voters ahead of the Progressive Labour Party.

When asked which party they would pick if an election were held today, voters opted for the OBA (39 per cent) over the PLP (26 per cent).

Meanwhile, 33 per cent were either undecided, refused to state their voting intentions or said they did not intend to vote. Party support was divided along racial lines. Forty-four per cent of black respondents supported the PLP, with 16 per cent opting for the OBA and 39 per cent not returning a definitive answer.

Among white respondents, 80 per cent favoured the OBA, 2 per cent the PLP and 17 per cent did not return a definitive answer.

Households with an income lower than $75,000 preferred the PLP (39 per cent) ahead of the OBA (23 per cent), while the reverse was true for households earning more than $150,000 (61 per cent OBA comapred with 11 per cent PLP).

“Voting intention varied hugely by race, as did Government satisfaction,” said Margaret Chapman, of Total Research Associates.

“But it’s interesting to see that on the most important issues facing the Premier, there was very little difference by race.”

The results are part of TRA’s Bermuda Omnibus, a syndicated quarterly survey of public opinion in Bermuda. The poll was conducted from June 15 to June 28 and has a margin of error of +/- 4.9 per cent.

A Royal Gazette-commissioned survey last month indicated a tighter contest between Bermuda’s two major political parties — with the OBA hanging on to a narrow 38-36 lead over the PLP.