Column: Robin Tucker On Politics & More

Column: Robin Tucker On Politics & More

[Opinion column written by MP Robin Tucker]

Bermuda should be very concerned when the leader of the country proclaims that he must “put party first”.

What happened to putting Bermuda first?

The Premier’s recent acknowledgement that Cabinet appointments are sometimes guided by party loyalty, rather than by principle highlights a deeper, and obvious problem within our political landscape.

Voters should elect their Member of Parliament with the expectation that they will serve the country for the public good, and not to serve party machinery. When decisions are made to appease factions rather than to advance competence and accountability, we move further from politics based on merit and progress to the benefit of the country, to politics of power to the benefit of the select few.

True leadership means building Cabinets that balance experience with integrity, not loyalty with leverage. Putting Bermuda first would mean welcoming capable voices regardless of political alignment and having the courage to explain to your party why merit must outweigh partisanship.

Our democracy thrives when our elected officials act as trustees of the people’s confidence, not as stewards of party convenience. Policies built to protect party image often ignore the hard realities faced by Bermudians who struggle to survive day to day. My hope is that the next time a leader feels the need to “swallow pride” it’s not in the service of preserving their party but it will be in defense of public interest and for all of Bermuda.

- MP Robin Tucker

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