Zane DeSilva’s attachment to such a baseless and degrading response to our economic policy is as predictable as it is revealing. It is no secret that he is David Burt’s loyal foot soldier — despite his aspirations to take his place as premier. But let’s cut through the noise and address their hypocrisy head-on.

He accuses the Free Democratic Movement of being “out of touch”. On that, we agree — because we are proud to be out of touch with the PLP. Why? Because 65 per cent of Bermuda is not in touch with the PLP. The real problem is that his party is out of touch with the people it claims to represent.

While the PLP dangles tax relief for workers like crumbs from the table, the FDM offers a real plan: tax relief for everyone — workers, seniors, and business owners alike. This approach cultivates inclusion and growth. But oddly, as a businessman, he does not seem to care about excessive taxation on business owners. Then again, he is not an ordinary businessman. While legitimate entrepreneurs take risks to create wealth, his strategy is clear: for every dollar he has to pay in taxes, he rakes in thousands through government contracts. This redistribution of wealth is not about supporting the country; it’s about lining his pockets, specifically.

Mr DeSilva embodies the PLP’s warped view of business — not as a driver of innovation and prosperity, but as a mechanism to exploit Bermudian voters, treating us like cash cows to be milked dry.

While he criticises the One Bermuda Alliance, the public have not forgotten how Island Construction, the very company he owns, thrived under OBA/UBP leadership. In fact, the only vehicles dominating government projects during the OBA’s time in office — and still dominating today — belong to Island Construction. His company thrives no matter who is in power because Zane DeSilva has mastered the art of playing both sides. Half of his business principals backs the PLP and the other half backs the OBA. This ensures he always wins. Meanwhile, in his desperate attempt to discredit the FDM, he accuses us of the very tactics he has perfected: prioritising personal gain and power over Bermuda’s wellbeing.

Let’s not forget that my leadership was rejected by the PLP precisely because I demanded accountability and integrity. My call for “clean hands and pure hearts” struck fear into the soul of a party that thrives on backroom deals and cronyism. This standard is one the FDM continues to uphold — a standard the PLP fails to meet.

We also want to inform you that we have not forgotten the foreign influence pulling the strings of the PLP; significantly the manoeuvrings that led to a Fairmont Southampton deal that shifts all the risk on to Bermudian taxpayers while funnelling the benefits to an elite, privileged few. The conclusion? The only threat to the PLP’s ignoble regime is a co-ordinated opposition. This is why they fear collaboration among opposition parties — it jeopardises their grip on Bermuda’s dwindling resources. This is the PLP’s playbook: profit for the powerful, debt for the people.

If they want to talk about the FDM’s silence, let’s address the real silence: the deafening inaction of 29 PLP MPs who sat mute in Parliament for five years. They collected taxpayer-funded salaries while enabling disastrous policies that have crippled our country.

Finally, we encourage the public to visit www.fdmbda.com to explore our economic policy in full. It is a comprehensive plan designed to restore prosperity and justice to Bermuda, in stark contrast to the financially illiterate policies of the PLP, which have left our country impoverished and disillusioned.

To David Burt, Zane DeSilva and the PLP’s PR spin doctors, remember that I and the FDM have all the receipts. Rest assured, we are not afraid to expose the truth. The politics of plunder and exploitation must end on February 18.

It’s time for Bermudians to demand more than childish and deceptive rhetoric. It’s time to call for honest, accountable leadership that prioritises the needs and voices of Bermudian voters.

• Marc Bean is the founder and leader of the Free Democratic Movement