Ruling party spokesperson Scott Simmons? comments on his party?s poll results were inaccurately reported, according to Premier Alex Scott.

But the Bermuda Sun is standing by the accuracy of its report last Wednesday in which it reported that the Premier?s approval rating had plummeted, and quoted Mr. Simmons as saying that his party had a ?credibility issue?.

Mr. Simmons was also reported to have said that the Premier had been directly affected by the public?s concerns that Government is planning legislation on ?morality issues?.

The comments raised some concern among some PLP supporters who privately questioned Mr. Simmons? loyalty to the party.

?The public relations officer was dismayed at the report,? said Mr. Scott when asked his reaction. ?He has expressed his disappointment to the Bermuda Sun reporter who understood his position and made an offer of retraction.

?Given the sequence of events it would be difficult to comment on an interview when the facts of its contents cannot be substantiated.?

Acting Bermuda Sun editor Don Burgess, however, said that no retraction had been offered and that Mr. Simmons had been accurately quoted.

And Mr. Simmons told last week that he had not been misquoted but that he had misspoke.

?The direct reason for this plummet in numbers is that the Bermudian public are concerned about their personal rights and whether the Government is planning on creating legislation based on morality issues ? people don?t want that.?

Mr. Scott, who was away when the poll story broke, has acknowledged that he considered his 80 percent approval rating of last year as ?political capital? he could spend on hard decisions such as anti-gaming legislation and controversial proposals to force the taxi industry to adopt computerised dispatching.

The Bermuda Sun commissioned poll reported that while his personal appeal was quite strong, Mr. Scott?s approval rating had dropped to around 47 percent.