Trust chasm

The most recent public opinion survey, conducted by MaltaToday on Christmas Eve, shows the trust rating of the new Nationalist Party leader continuing on its downward slide, down to 7.2 per cent, and the Prime Minister’s still at 50.4 per cent – a chasm between the two leaders.

One of the reasons for this unprecedented trust-rating difference between the Labour and Nationalist leaders is that Adrian Delia keeps coming as a very weak leader who has no control whatsoever over his parliamentary group. This has again been starkly shown during the parliamentary debate on Chris Said’s motion.

The hysterical speeches made by Beppe Fenech Adami and Edwin Vassallo, coupled with the continuous interruptions by Simon Busuttil, who was not listed among the Opposition speakers on the motion, must have convinced the vast majority of those who followed the parliamentary debate that Delia will not be allowed to steer the PN to a more responsible and constructive criticism of the government.

I am sure the result of the above-mentioned survey must have led the anti-Delia faction within the PN’s parliamentary group to chuckle. So while it may have dampened the Christmas spirit of the Opposition...