Comments on: Sir John Swan: ‘We Need A New System’

By: The UBP

The UBP — Tue, 14 Jan 2025 21:54:45 +0000

Still exist . Joe Bloggs never threw his membership card away: #1.

By: It is easy to do

It is easy to do — Tue, 14 Jan 2025 21:51:47 +0000

Take a lock down weekend at Coco Reef paid for buy the mps from each side who agree to meet with an independent chairperson and they do not leave until they agree to the top 3 issues and how to tackle finance and implement them. That’s called leadership and not guts and it is what the country wants to see .Can you imagine less backward and forwards of machine gun banter we get . Start with Mark Bean’s housing idea. They can’t leave till they review it …and the plp and independent views, to come to a conclusion. Ah this idea has a lot of grease on it…down the tube it goes so we the people suffer again.

By: Triangle Drifter

Triangle Drifter — Tue, 14 Jan 2025 13:38:28 +0000

The idea of progressive representation is nothing new in Bermuda. There were people in the 70s who were fed up with divisive party politics in the 70s, not even ten years after the PLP was formed.

Of course the UBP was not interested and neither was the PLP. Not surprising.

The appetite among the voters seems much stronger now in 2025 for being rid of political partys.

What is needed is a spark to light the flames for change and and a political Santa Anna wind to fan them into a wildfire for change. We have the spark in Sir John. Unfortunately all we have is a gentle breeze so far to make that independent fire into a firestorm for change.

A collection of similar minded, but much younger people, need to step up and build on what Sir John has started.

By: Joe Bloggs

Joe Bloggs — Tue, 14 Jan 2025 10:37:48 +0000

Drifter, I agree with you that Bermuda is too small for party polytricks, but political parties are here and they will not go away. That is a sad fact of life.

The Progressive Labour Party was the first political party in Bermuda and it has every intention of being the last political party in Bermuda.

By: Joe Bloggs

Joe Bloggs — Tue, 14 Jan 2025 10:33:07 +0000

“tell everyone why they closed down the UBP”

Thank you for finally admitting that the UBP is gone, dissolved, “closed down”.

By: Hilarious

Hilarious — Tue, 14 Jan 2025 04:11:42 +0000

Well said, Sir John! Long time no see. Let’s get together after the election.

By: Triangle Drifter

Triangle Drifter — Tue, 14 Jan 2025 01:30:01 +0000

Can’t argue with much of what Sir John has to say. The Westminster System has failed us for quite some time. IMO Bermuda is way too small for party politics and 36 MPs is way too many.

We would be better served with 20 MPs. All independent. All elected via proportional representation. No more constituencies. Each MP represents all of Bermuda.

To select this 20 each voter would have multiple votes, giving the voters far more say in who represents them. Without going into too much detail of the mechanics of it, start with a pool of say 40 potential candidates. Each voter can vote for up to 5 maybe 10 of those candidates. Top 20 are in.

From there all MPs would have to do some work. They would have to sort out among themselves who gets the Ministerial positions but all of the rest would have pull their weight as assistant Ministers and hold chair positions on the various Government Boards.

As independents they don’t have to agree with each other. They have to work together though.

By: Answer

Answer — Tue, 14 Jan 2025 00:53:01 +0000

John Swan why don’t you be honest and tell everyone why they closed down the UBP? Was it because the economy was bad or was it because that 25% of black voters the party needed to win all departed?

By: mixitup

mixitup — Mon, 13 Jan 2025 23:57:36 +0000

Crazy, the PLP were in the wilderness for decades as this “Longest serving Premier” was heading the Government, this same system worked just fine then.

By: Unbelievable

Unbelievable — Mon, 13 Jan 2025 22:52:47 +0000

You can kiss that idea adios! As long as we have this $3 to $6 billion debt, Bermuda will never go independent.
The PLP are managers. That’s all they will be from this point on.

By: stinky d

stinky d — Mon, 13 Jan 2025 21:59:36 +0000

Independence then onto becoming a republic

By: puzzled

puzzled — Mon, 13 Jan 2025 21:46:24 +0000

Go for it.