Premier Dr. Ewart Brown’s election as Progressive Labour Party leader, and thus Premier, has paid immediate dividends for the party, according to the polls published in today’s Royal Gazette.

Dr. Brown’s favourability ratings stand above 50 percent and there has been a significant boost in the number of people who say they would vote for the PLP if an election was held now.

By contrast, Opposition Leader Wayne Furbert’s favourability has not changed much and nor have the UBP’s election prospects.

Since the poll was taken very soon after Dr. Brown became leader, he is still enjoying a honeymoon very much characterised by broad brush statements with little detail.

And it is worth noting that both Dame Jennifer Smith and Alex Scott enjoyed ratings in the polls in the early months of their administrations that were significantly higher than Dr. Brown’s are now.

That does not mean that Dr. Brown’s popularity — and that of the PLP — will inevitably fall. It only means that the real test of his popularity will come later.

By the same token, Dr. Brown’s own popularity does not necessarily translate into support for the PLP, and vice versa.

Dame Pamela Gordon’s personal standing when she was Premier remained high in the months before the UBP was drummed out in 1998, while Dame Jennifer’s personal unpopularity prior to the 2003 election did not stop the PLP from being re-elected.

Where the PLP’s strategists will take heart is from the boost that the leadership change has given them.

This will only make an early election more likely as the PLP tries to capitalise on the momentum.Lack of detail Opposition MPs rightly criticised new Works Minister Dennis Lister for bringing to the House of Assembly a land transfer for home construction at Southside that was as lacking in detail as, well, the Throne Speech.

The legislation proposes to sell 2.5 acres of land for $3.8 million to Trinity Construction, which will then be obliged to build 54 homes to be sold for between $450,000 and $525,000, which is apparently what affordable means in Bermuda today.

Former Opposition Leader Dr. Grant Gibbons leapt on the lack of detail in the proposal, compared to the mind-numbing proliferation of detail in a new airport services contract also provided to MPs.

Why has Government not provided the same information to MPs for this deal, he rightly asked.

Instead MPs are being asked to sell the public’s land when they have virtually no idea how it will be used. That is dangerous, although given the precedent of the Loughlands special development order, typical of the arrogance of the PLP.

It is a shame that Mr. Lister had fallen into the same trap when he has just returned to Cabinet.