Poor poll showings for the United Bermuda Party have highlighted the need for radical change, senior party figures have agreed.

The June survey by Research.bm showed the UBP trailing the Progressive Labour Party despite the fact that only three in ten voters had a favourable impression of Premier Ewart Brown.

The PLP stand on 37 percent of the vote while 33 percent back the UBP whose leaders also had a poor showing. Only 36 percent of voters have a favourable impression of leader Kim Swan while only 15 percent like deputy leader Cole Simons while 29 percent had never heard of him.

Veteran MPTrevor Moniz said: "The only good news for us is Ewart is a disaster on wheels. "The other news for us is not particularly heartening. We have to look at making some major change.

"Superficial image change is not sufficient. Some of these things are clearly disturbing the relatively low support for the UBP, the poll numbers on our deputy leader and Kim are disappointing. We need to get out and address that."

He said the UBP should be gaining some disadvantage out of the PLP's poor polls.

"But in fact we are polling nearly as badly as they are in party support we are worse, in terms of leadership we are slightly better. Being in the 30s is not healthy."

The UBP is still split between reformers who want major change and those who think the present formula will become good in time, with some minor adjustments.

However both sides have agreed to look at change and a committee, comprising Mr. Moniz, former MP David Dodwell, Senators Charlie Swan and Jeanne Atherden and former candidate Wayne Scott, is working on a report.

Mr. Moniz would not say when the report, which some had expected at the end of June, would be completed and circulated.

UBP leader Kim Swan said he would be carrying on with his strategy of appealing to all sections of the community.

Asked if his party should be doing better given the unpopularity of the Premier he said:"It is early days after the election and we have work to do."

Probed on whether the poll showed radical change was needed in the UBP he said the party was working on a new way forward and it would be wrong to comment at this stage.

The poll also showed seven out of ten voters had a favourable impression of Deputy Premier Paula Cox who also led the pack when compared to five other well known PLPpoliticians.

Former party chairman Shawn Crockwell said of the poll results:"There were surprising figures in there for both sides and there was a quite alarming endorsement of Deputy Premier Paula Cox."

He said that showed a growing discontent with the Premier rather than a growing discontent with the PLP.

"As a whole our situation seems to remain stagnant despite the fact there has been some controversy with the Government."

He said the party had not yet implemented its reform package but the poll had served to highlight the need for the UBP to change.

He said UBP colleagues he had spoken to were not that surprised with the poll's findings.

"It may be a wake-up call for individuals who don't see the necessity for radical change.

"Clearly no matter what the Government does whether they are performing well or having challenges and this the biggest eye opener for me our position doesn't improve. We remain stagnant so we cannot hope that the Government fails and we win by default."

Which is why Mr. Crockwell wants the UBP to ramp up its grass roots development and bring young people and blacks into the party. He said the PLP had energized young people in the election campaign but the UBP had nothing similar.

A name change could be needed along with some more fundamental change which would make the party become more relevant, said Mr. Crockwell who has previously suggested some of the older white members should step down. Probed on that he said:"We need new blood, some infusion of new dynamic talent coming in. "

But he conceded some of the older statesmen had been a tremendous help to him in parliament. "So we have to find a balance with those who are tried and tested but we also need to bring people in.

"That is something that is going to be very delicate but we have to somehow achieve that balance."

He said he had expected Mr. Swan to be doing better in the polls. "But having said that Kim Swan has done an excellent job under difficult circumstances. But he has to demonstrate a commitment to change within the organisation."

Once that was done the UBP could make progress said Mr. Crockwell. He said the polls would be more significant once the public had taken in the new-look Opposition.

"I don't think we should get too overly concerned with the numbers because they are coming before we have had an opportunity to do anything."

Former party leader Wayne Furbert said the PLP would still win under Ewart Brown if an election was held now, in spite of his unpopularity.

He said:"We need to create an alternative to Government, right now people don't think the UBP is an alternative Government. We need significant change."

But he declined to say what strategy was needed.

The phone poll of 402 registered voter has a margin of error of 4.9 percent.