OBA Leader Jarion Richardson On PLP Record
“The PLP has spent 20 years exacerbating Bermuda’s problems,” OBA Leader Jarion Richardson said, adding, “and their fixation on the past has only made these problems worse.”
OBA Leader Jarion Richardson’s remarks:
Mr Richardson said, “My fellow Bermudians, a few days before a pivotal election, I want to take a moment – not just to look back at the past five weeks, but to look forward to the next five years.
“This election isn’t about a party or a leader. It’s about a choice between more of the same – or something better. A choice between fear or hope.
“A choice between continued decline and renewal. A choice that will define the future for our children and generations to come.
“When David Burt called this election, he hoped for validation – for the choices he made, his policies and the legacy he hopes to leave behind. But let’s be honest are you better off now than eight years ago?
“Our island is broken, dangerous roads, old bridges, a healthcare system on life support. An exodus of more than 6,000 Bermudians seeking better opportunities abroad and many more see no other option but to leave.
“More than 800 homeless and a third of all Bermudians living without knowing when their next meal will be. A cost-of-living crisis that has left families struggling to put food on the table. Schools without teachers. Crime and violence threaten the safety of our children.
“The PLP government lost its way, spending recklessly, rewarding the powerful, ignoring your struggles. A government that claims to be for us, but time and time again, turns its back on us when we needed it most.
“This is the reality of Bermuda at the mercy of David Burt’s PLP. A government that answers only to the few, not to all Bermudans. A leadership that doesn’t feel the need to show up for work. A Premier who governs by decree instead of by principle and consensus.
“The PLP government acts as if power is a right, rather than a duty. That is not democracy or leadership. This is not what we deserve.
“Democracy only works when people demand better. And that’s the promise of the One Bermuda Alliance.
“We stood up, after the last election when things were very difficult for the OBA. We asked the tough questions. We exposed their failures. We never stopped believing our mutual power to change the course of this country.
“In the last few years, the OBA has seen an incredible shift – unimaginable in those quiet, anxious moments after the 2020 General Election. People have seen a new way forward and have hope again.
“We saw it in town halls, starting small and now packed with Bermudians who want answers and solutions. We heard it on the doorsteps, at first reserved, now loud, heated, and demanding change. We’ve heard it from families who are tired of just getting by and want a hand up, not a hand out.
“We heard it from teachers, nurses, business owners, young professionals — people who are ready for a new way forward. People who are tired of feeling powerless and want a government that works with them and for them.
“The One Bermuda Alliance believes in accountability, opportunity and a government that works for the many, not just the few.
“And today, we are prepared to lead. We have a team ready to fix what is broken. To heal our wounds. To restore lost faith and usher in a new era of accountability, unity, and progress.
“The PLP has spent 20 years exacerbating Bermuda’s problems. And their fixation on the past has only made these problems worse.
“Problems don’t fix themselves. Change doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when people decide that enough is enough. When we rise up, speak out, and demand something better. When we refuse to settle for anything less than a government that truly serves us all.
“And hope is contagious.
“Hope and belief is what built this country. Hope is what moves us forward. Hope is what tells that a single mother working two jobs that tomorrow can be better than today. Hope is what tells young Bermudians studying abroad that there is a future for them back home. Hope is what fuels every one of us to stand up and say: We will not settle. We will not accept the continued decline. Apathy cannot win.
“Bermuda is stronger when we all succeed. We are at our best when we lift each other up.
“Together, we can turn the page on division, on mismanagement, on empty, broken promises. We can choose a new beginning. A fresh start. A future built on respect, integrity, and opportunity for all.
“Let’s rise together. Let’s get to work, together. And let’s build the Bermuda we all deserve, together.
“My commitment to you is this: When you make your choice in the voting booth, a vote for the OBA is a vote for a government that believes in you.
“Vote for a future where every Bermudian has a chance to thrive. Vote for leadership that listens, cares, shows up and is accountable. Vote for fairness for all, not for those connected to power. Vote for real change and a better future for all of us.
“Vote for the One Bermuda Alliance.”
PLP MP Jamahl Simmons statement:
Mr. Simmons said, “Once again, the OBA is hoping you forget who they really are. But let’s be honest—this is the same party that forced our public servants to take furlough days, made radical, painful cuts to social programmes, and tried to not make it harder for Bermudian women to get the mammograms they need, they also tried to give the children of guest workers the right to compete with our children for jobs and opportunities.
“Whenever they had the chance to do the right thing, and support policies that help struggling Bermudians they chose to inflict pain instead. OBA put the wealthy and well-connected ahead of working Bermudians. And now, in the last days of the election they are hiding Michael Fahy, the architect of some of their most divisive and damaging attempts to marginalize Bermudians, hoping you won’t notice and will forget that he is lurking in the shadows.
“They claim to stand for Bermudians, but they can’t even give you a straight answer on whether they will support seniors through tough times. One minute, they say they’ll protect seniors; the next, they’re waffling on whether they will increase their pensions.
“Let me be clear: the PLP will always stand with our seniors, ensuring they can retire with dignity—not leaving them to struggle while the rich get richer.
“The OBA today talked about ‘renewal,’ but what they really mean is reviving the same old wealthy-friendly, anti-Bermudian policies that Bermudians have rejected over and over again.
“Time and time again, they have shown us where their priorities lie and it is not with the people.
“The PLP believes in an economy that works for all, not just the wealthy and privileged. That’s why we have raised the minimum wage, expanded access to affordable childcare, expanded access to scholarships and training and increased seniors pensions every year.
“So, when the OBA or any of their allies ask for your vote, ask yourself: who was there for you when times were tough?
“Who fought to ensure workers had a fair wage, seniors had support, and our people had opportunities?
“The choice is clear. We will not go back to the days of cuts, uncertainty, and a government that serves the few over the many. Let’s keep moving forward together towards a fairer Bermuda for all of us.”
For full coverage of the 2025 Election and past elections, visit the links below, with comprehensive coverage available on our network website BermudaElections.com, the leading source of data and election videos.
- All: Our coverage of the 2025 General Election here
- 2025 Candidates: List of the 109 candidates
- Constituencies: Data/past results of all 36 constituencies
- Videos: Over 200 videos spanning multiple elections here
- Official: The Government’s election website here
- Comprehensive: Our BermudaElection.com website here
Hopefully the obaUBPeer defeat speech is better on the night of February 18. This was poorly written and the time for begging on ones knees has passed.