Barbed comments on the air branding the One Bermuda Alliance a “rudderless” political party have been countered by Jarion Richardson, the Leader of the Opposition, who said that the OBA was gunning to take on the ruling party.

Mr Richardson responded the day after a Daily Hourinterview with Marc Bean, a former Progressive Labour Party leader who went on to found the Free Democratic Movement as a contender in the 2020 General Election.

“The One Bermuda Alliance has represented the people,” Mr Richardson said.

“We have spent years doing our homework. We’ve spent years getting ready, and we are constantly engaging with community now.”

The October 2020 General Election was a decisive win for the PLP, which took back the Government in 2017 after the OBA’s single term.

The OBA was left with six seats out of the 36 in the House of Assembly, while the FDM reaped votes but failed to put any candidates in the House.

Mr Bean acknowledged that the FDM appeared to have fallen silent since then — but characterised it as a strategic move, telling the Daily Hour that the party would “re-emerge”.

Mr Bean’s interview was highly critical of the PLP and its leadership.

He was also dismissive of the OBA as a political force, maintaining that the Opposition stood no chance of regaining the Government.

Mr Bean added that the PLP had become reliant on the OBA as a foil, counting on Black distrust of the party’s perceived links to the White Establishment as a means to retain its hold on political power.

Mr Richardson responded: “Bermudians deserve good representation, so the more people who are trying hard to represent them authentically, the better.

“But you can’t go from a dead stop or hibernation mode into actually representing people.”

He added: “This theory that you can go from a dead stop, hibernate and then the next day actually know what to do as a government is false.”

Mr Bean vowed to build a robust government in waiting.

Mr Richardson responded that the OBA was already proving a thorn in the ruling party’s side.

“The comment regarding the OBA being rudderless — we did great work in 2023, and 2024 is going to be our year. We know we are getting out there.

“We know we are irritating the Government. It has to consider what we say and, to that end, we are anything but rudderless.”

Mr Richardson said the Opposition intended to direct its energies on “progressing and making meaningful impact in the community”.

“We will stay focused on our mission, stay focused on our outcomes, stay focused on saving Bermuda and we will do it.

“There will always extraneous noise. There is always going to be a distraction. The OBA possesses focus and discipline, and we care.”