The majority of voters oppose independence and are either against or unsure about the island becoming a full member of the Caribbean Community, according to a new poll.

According to the poll in which 402 registered voters were questioned last month, only 6 per cent of respondents said that they support independence, while 63 per cent said they oppose it. A further 31 per cent said they were unsure.

There was stronger support for the Government’s plans for Bermuda to become a full member of Caricom, at 19 per cent, compared with 31 per cent who opposed the move. Exactly half of those asked said they were undecided on the matter.

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Political Opinions Poll - December 2023 final.pdf

The Government announced in November’s Throne Speech that it was moving ahead with plans to join the organisation.

The economy was the biggest concern among those polled, with 42 per cent putting it at the top of their list of priorities. Education, housing and crime were other big issues.

The poll also showed that only 8 per cent of those asked said they were confident in the direction that the economy was heading, while 69 per cent said they were not confident.

The poll, conducted by Global Research, has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 per cent.

A spokeswoman for the Progressive Labour Party said: “The party supports the PLP government’s approach to a full public consultation on Caricom, similar to what took place in 2002 preceding the application for Bermuda’s associate membership.

“It is doubtful that any poll on Caricom before that public consultation has any value.”

UPDATE: this article has been amended to include a comment from the PLP