The United Bermuda Party has fallen further behind the Progressive Labour Party despite widespread public opposition to Premier Ewart Brown.

Forty-three percent of people said they would vote for the PLP in a General Election, compared to 35 percent for the UBP, in a Research.bm poll at the end of June. In the previous poll in May, the PLP led by 40 to 37.

Just 12 percent said they approved of the UBP's performance since the 2007 election, down from 19 percent in May. Forty-one percent disapproved, up from 40 percent.

Meanwhile 37 percent approved of the PLP's performance, up from 32 percent; with 31 percent disapproving, unchanged from May.

Four days before Research.bm began polling, the UBP failed with a motion of no confidence in Dr. Brown's Government, tabled by Opposition Leader Kim Swan in response to the Premier's handling of the Uighurs affair.

All PLP MPs voted against Mr. Swan's motion, with the UBP suffering a further blow as Opposition MPs Mark Pettingill and Darius Tucker both refused to vote. Mr. Tucker later quit the party, reducing its number of MPs to 12, with Mr. Pettingill suspended from the party whip for three months.

Now Mr. Swan's favourability has fallen from 35 percent to 30 percent — meaning he is only slightly more popular than Dr. Brown.

Since The Royal Gazette began commissioning polls in 2004, only Wayne Furbert has been less popular than Mr. Swan as Opposition Leader. Mr. Furbert had a favourability rating of just 20 percent at the start of 2007, shortly before he was replaced by Michael Dunkley.

Easily the most popular UBP leader of the past five years, according to our polls, was Grant Gibbons, who was ousted in January 2006. Dr. Gibbons' favourability rating was consistently in the 40s.

The UBP commissioned its own poll in May, in response to its criticism of its perceived failure to reform following three successive General Election defeats.

Sections of results from that poll obtained by this newspaper indicate people want old faces from the party to step aside because they represent the legacy which is holding it back.

Reflecting on the Research.bm poll yesterday, one UBP insider told this newspaper the Opposition should be seizing on the public discontent over Dr. Brown.

"The poll results are disappointing. However, although the UBP is making changes it is clear those changes are not going far enough to attract significant support," said the party member, who asked not to be named.

"What is of note though is the continued disapproval by the community of the leadership of the Premier. His insistence on staying on is sad given his favourability. He has been successful in one thing — and that is his ability to divide Bermuda down racial lines.

"The polls also show a general dislike of politicians. The Uighur affair has done nothing to improve the image of politicians generally.

"The UBP must be able to capitalise on the failings in the PLP leadership and step up its game if it is going to succeed."

Mr. Swan recently said the party needs to be more together as a team, reform to make itself more dynamic and function more effectively from the ground up. The UBP declined to comment specifically on the poll results on itself.

PLP spokesman Wentworth Christopher said: "Compare our numbers to the UBP. While our performance numbers are rising, theirs are dropping like a rock."