The Progressive Labour Party has closed the gap on the One Bermuda Alliance to just one point, according to a new poll commissioned by The Royal Gazette.

In the Global Research survey this month, the OBA had a 39-38 lead over the PLP, compared with the 42-30 advantage it held in our previous poll last December. The number of people choosing to back neither party has fallen from 28 per cent to 22 per cent.

OBA leader Michael Dunkley and deputy leader Bob Richards both saw their performance approval ratings fall, with PLP leader Marc Bean and deputy leader David Burt registering improved scores.

The survey took place between March 7 and March 14, while tensions were rising ahead of an angry five-day demonstration against the OBA’s controversial Pathways to Status Bill.

A breakdown of results by race shows that both parties have lost support from the black community, with the PLP making a slight inroad into the white vote. Among whites, 89 per cent said they would vote for the ruling party, unchanged from December, with 4 per cent opting for PLP, up from 3 per cent.

The number of blacks backing the OBA has fallen from 21 per cent to 13 per cent; the number of blacks supporting the PLP has gone from 64 per cent to 58 per cent.

The OBA is comfortably taking the male vote, with 45 per cent compared with 35 per cent for the PLP. Among females, the reverse is true, with 34 per cent opting for OBA and 41 per cent for PLP.

Mr Dunkley, the Premier, dropped 13 points from a 48 per cent approval rating to 35 per cent. This breaks down to a 67 per cent rating from whites and 19 per cent from blacks.

He has taken the biggest hit from the older generation, with his rating among over-65s falling from 64 per cent to 38 per cent.

Mr Bean, the Leader of the Opposition, saw his approval rating climb from 20 per cent to 24 per cent.

His score from blacks rose from 33 per cent to 36 per cent, and his rating among whites stays on 2 per cent.

Mr Richards, who as the Minister of Finance delivered the Budget last month, dropped nine points, with his approval rating falling from 28 per cent to 19 per cent. His score among whites fell from 54 per cent to 38 per cent; among blacks he fell from 12 per cent to 9 per cent.

Mr Burt, the Shadow Minister of Finance who heavily criticised Mr Richards’s Budget, went from 29 per cent to 32 per cent, thanks largely to an improved rating among blacks, from 46 per cent to 50 per cent. Among whites, Mr Burt’s rating fell from 4 per cent to 2 per cent.

Favourability ratings, which assess the popularity of the politicians, show Mr Dunkley has fallen from 53 per cent to 41 per cent; Mr Richards has fallen from 36 per cent to 22 per cent; Mr Bean has risen from 21 per cent to 25 per cent; and Mr Burt has risen from 30 per cent to 34 per cent.

The telephone poll of 400 registered voters has a margin of error of plus or minor 5 per cent.