Premier Ewart Brown is now more unpopular with the public than any Premier since Royal Gazette polling began in 2004.

Twenty-seven percent of people said they were in favour of Dr. Brown — with 57 percent against — in the Research.bm survey carried out at the end of June.

It represents a fall from 34 percent in May and surpasses his own personal nadir of 29 percent in January 2009; the lowest rating achieved by his predecessor Alex Scott in this newspaper's polls was 39 percent, in January 2005.

Forty-six percent gave the Premier the lowest possible favourability rating of one out of five, with disapproval for Dr. Brown growing among both blacks and whites.

The poll was conducted from June 24 to 27, about two weeks after Dr. Brown angered large sections of the community by bringing four Guantánamo Bay detainees to Bermuda behind the backs of his Cabinet colleagues and without permission from the UK.

It was before he infuriated people even more with his failed attempt to push his controversial cruise ship gaming bill through Parliament without its backbench opponents knowing.

A breakdown on race shows 42 percent of blacks are in favour of the Premier, down from 44 percent. Thirty-four percent of blacks are against him, up from 26 percent.

Among whites, four percent are in favour, down from 12 percent.

Ninety percent of whites are against him, up from 67 percent.

Dr. Brown's job performance approval rating has fallen slightly from 31 percent to 30 percent. The amount disapproving of his performance has jumped from 43 percent to 58 percent.

Deputy Premier Paula Cox continues to enjoy widespread support with her favourability rating sticking at 65 percent.

Opposition Leader Kim Swan's favourability drops from 35 percent to 30 percent; while his deputy Trevor Moniz remains at 31 percent.

Despite public opposition to Dr. Brown, the Progressive Labour Party's lead over the United Bermuda Party has grown. Forty-three percent of people said they would vote PLP if an election took place, with 35 percent voting UBP. In May, the PLP led by 40 percent to 37 percent.

The PLP's performance approval rating has gone up from 32 percent to 37 percent, with 31 percent disapproving, the same as before.

Three anti-Dr. Brown demonstrations took place last month, while Dale Butler, Elvin James and Terry Lister have all left Dr. Brown's Cabinet after publicly criticising him.

PLP spokesman Wentworth Christopher said: "The attacks were amplified, but, it still can't stop the PLP's momentum. Our percentage of the vote is up and the UBP's percentage of the vote is down. Our party's performance rating is up and the UBP's performance rating is down.

"It's important to note that just 31 percent of Bermudians disapprove of the PLP's job performance. There are those in the community that have never supported the PLP and their opposition is reflected in that 31 percent minority.

"While there are certainly improvements we can make, we're headed in the right direction with landmark reforms like [health insurance programme for seniors] FutureCare moving forward and stunning new hotels coming to Hamilton and St. George's.

"Our party will always have its detractors, as evidenced in the Premier's favourability numbers. A certain percentage of the population has never supported the PLP and their intensified opposition are reflected in his numbers."

Mr. Christopher added that he was pleased PLP support was particularly strong among young people.

Dr. Brown's press secretary Glenn Jones did not respond to our request for comment.

A UBP spokesman said: "We note that the polling that yielded these results took place between 24 and 27 June, smack in the middle of one of the most extraordinary periods in Bermuda's political history.

"While the Uighurs had arrived, and the anger over Dr. Ewart Brown violating the Constitution had begun, there was much to come in the following two weeks.

"Voters had not heard of the plan to close the corporations, nor had they heard about Dr. Brown's attempt to trick his own colleagues into voting for the cruise ship gambling bill. They had not heard of the extraordinary revolt against Dr. Brown in the House by two of his own Ministers and two backbenchers, who demanded his resignation.

"Had the poll been published a month earlier, we would have been tempted to take some comfort from the continued slippage in Dr. Brown's approval ratings.

"But if the polling were to be done today, we believe the results would show a much larger drop in his approval rating, and a significant drop in the level of satisfaction in the job the PLP are doing.

"We believe our motion of no confidence in the House of Assembly, while it might not have carried the day, had the effect of crystallising the debate, of making the issues clear to voters. So we believe we would be able to take some credit for the shifting figures.

"The lion's share of the credit, though, must go to Dr. Brown, whose ability to divide and disappoint the country is well on its way to becoming legendary."

The telephone poll of 402 people has a margin of error of 4.9 percent.