Not one out of 131 white people said they would vote Progressive Labour Party in a survey this month.

But despite scoring zero percent of support from whites — for the first time in recent polling history — the PLP's continued popularity among blacks means its share of the overall vote has increased.

Pollsters Mindmaps say the result is not a statistical freak, given that the PLP usually only scores between one and five percent from whites anyway.

Overall the poll, carried out between July 2 and July 6, shows Bermuda Democratic Alliance has fallen further behind the PLP and the United Bermuda Party.

Thirty-four percent of people said they would vote PLP, up from 32 percent three months ago but still well short of the 40 percent it scored at the beginning of the year — and less than the two Opposition parties combined.

The UBP climbs from 21 percent to 25 percent, and the BDA drops from 17 percent to 14 percent meaning, collectively, 39 percent of people would have voted for one of the Opposition parties.

A breakdown on race shows the UBP claims 54 percent of the white vote and the BDA 16 percent, with 14 percent saying they'd vote for "other" and 16 percent saying they don't know.

Among blacks, 48 percent would vote PLP, 14 percent UBP and 13 percent BDA, with four percent saying "other" and 21 percent unsure.

The UBP increased its popularity among the older generation, attracting votes from 45 percent of over-65s, compared with 28 percent for the PLP and four percent for the BDA.

But the PLP scores strongly among younger people, taking 41 percent of the 35-44 age group, compared with 14 percent for the UBP and 17 percent for the BDA.

The UBP's performance approval has improved from 14 percent to 21 percent — marking its second rise in a row after hitting a nadir of seven percent in January.

But it remains behind the PLP, whose performance approval is unchanged at 25 percent. The BDA's performance approval goes down from 17 percent to 11 percent.

Eighty-nine percent of people said they were absolutely certain or very likely to vote in an election, down from 90 percent last time.

Reacting to the results yesterday, a UBP spokesman said: "The poll continues to find many Bermudians unhappy with the performance of this Government.

"The United Bermuda Party has focused hard on this shaky performance because it is affecting the lives of more and more people, from joblessness and smaller paycheques, to public service cutbacks, unchecked crime and higher taxes.

"We want to get Bermuda back on track, and that means better schooling for kids, safe streets and leadership that is fair, open and competent.

"That is our mission. We've been working hard at it. Today's poll shows progress but also that a lot of work remains to be done."

BDA chairman Michael Fahy said: "The slight dip in support is not surprising given the initial euphoria following the launch of the Bermuda Democratic Alliance.

"The polls demonstrate that there is much more work to do and I am confident that the BDA will rise to the challenge.

"We look forward to the day when voting patterns are not so broken down along racial lines which these polls seem to indicate.

"We believe that Bermuda wants and needs change and we believe that we are the vehicle for that change. The BDA will continue to work hard to find solutions to Bermuda's challenges and we look forward to showing the people of Bermuda who we are and what the BDA can bring to Bermuda."

PLP chairman Anthony Santucci and public relations officer Wentworth Christopher did not respond to requests for reaction.

The poll of 400 residents aged 18 or over has a margin of error of 4.9 percent.