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One Bermuda Alliance

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One Bermuda Alliance
LeaderThe Hon. Jarion C. Richardson JP MP[1]
ChairpersonAguinaldo Medeiros[2]
Founded17 May 2011
Merger ofUnited Bermuda Party
Bermuda Democratic Alliance
HeadquartersReid Street,
Hamilton, Bermuda
IdeologyFiscal conservatism
Direct democracy
Reformism
Political positionCentre-right[3]
SloganPutting Bermuda first
Senate
3 / 11
Assembly
6 / 36
Website
www.oba.bm

The One Bermuda Alliance (OBA) is one of two political parties in Bermuda with elected members of the Bermuda's legislative assembly. It was created in May 2011 by the merger of most members of Bermuda's two non-Labour parties, the United Bermuda Party and the Bermuda Democratic Alliance. It won the 2012 election and governed until 2017. Since then, it has been the official opposition in Bermuda's House of Assembly (currently holding 6 of its 36 seats).

History

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The United Bermuda Party (UBP) was founded in 1964 and won every Bermuda election until 1998, when it lost to the Progressive Labour Party. The UBP remained the official opposition party until 2011.

The Bermuda Democratic Alliance (BDA) was formed in 2009 by breakaway members of the UBP that believed only a new party could win voters from the PLP. It contested one by-election in December 2010, coming in third behind the PLP and UBP, with the PLP retaining about the same support level that it had in the 2007 general election.[4] Concern that vote-splitting among the two non-Labour parties would result in an easy victory for the PLP prompted the BDA and UBP to enter merger talks.

The initial intention of UBP and BDA negotiators was to formally merge the two parties,[5] but when UBP leader Kim Swan sought an injunction to block the merger, seven sitting MPs of the UBP quit their former party and joined the three BDA members to become Bermuda's new official opposition on 17 May 2011.[6]

The party held its inaugural leadership convention on 10 September 2011, where the former BDA leader, Senator Craig Cannonier, narrowly won the party leadership over challenger Everard T. (Bob) Richards.[7] The party won the 2012 elections, taking 19 of the 36 seats in the House of Assembly.[8]

Cannonier resigned party leadership on 19 May 2014,[9] and Michael Dunkley became party leader and Premier. The party lost its parliamentary majority in March 2017 after two members left the party to become independents, and Dunkley called an election for 18 July 2017. The party lost 7 seats to the PLP, retaining 12 of the 36 seats, and prompting Dunkley to resign as party leader the following day.[10] Jeanne Atherden became the new leader but resigned in September 2018 after internal dissension, with Craig Cannonier returning as leader.

After the party retained only 6 seats in the 2020 Bermudian general election, Cannonier resigned as party leader in October 2020.[11] N.H. Cole Simons was later sworn in as party leader on 2 November 2020, having been the only candidate for the role and remained in post until August 2023.[12] Jarion Richardson was later sworn in as party leader on 10 August 2023.[13]

Policies

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The party's initial slogan was "Putting Bermuda First." Its policies on its foundation included:

  • balancing the budget in its first term
  • cutting Ministerial pay by at least 10%
  • allocating more government contracts to small business
  • additional resources for police
  • introducing a fully integrated technical curriculum and a longer school day
  • having fixed term elections, right to petition for referendums and recall of MPs.

Party leaders

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Leader Entered office Left office
John Barritt (interim) May 2011 September 2011
Craig Cannonier September 2011 May 2014
Michael Dunkley May 2014 July 2017
Patricia Gordon-Pamplin (interim) July 2017 November 2017
Jeanne Atherden November 2017 September 2018
Craig Cannonier September 2018 October 2020
N.H. Cole Simons November 2020 August 2023
Jarion Richardson August 2023 Present

Election results

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Election Party leader Votes Seats Position Government
No. % ± No. of candidates No. of seats won ±
2012 Craig Cannonier 15,949 51.70% — 36
19 / 36
 — 1st OBA
2017 Michael Dunkley 13,837 40.62% Decrease 11.06 36
12 / 36
 Decrease 7 Decrease 2nd PLP
2020 Craig Cannonier 8,314 32.27% Decrease 8.34 36
6 / 36
 Decrease 6 Steady 2nd PLP
2025

References

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  1. ^ "Jarion Richardson Sworn In As Opposition Leader". Bernews. 2 November 2020. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  2. ^ "Meet the One Bermuda Alliance team". One Bermuda Alliance. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  3. ^ "Risks to government continuity persist".
  4. ^ Bermuda Sun, 15 December 2010.
  5. ^ "UBP agrees to merge with BDA | The Royal Gazette:Bermuda Politics".
  6. ^ "Mass resignation by UBP MPs". bermudasun.bm.
  7. ^ "Cannonier beats Richards by a whisker in OBA leadership election". bermudasun.bm.
  8. ^ "Election Map", Royal Gazette, 17 December 2012.
  9. ^ "Live Blog: Michael Dunkley Has Been Sworn In". 20 May 2014.
  10. ^ Royal Gazette, 19 July 2017, Dunkley resigns as OBA leader
  11. ^ "The OBA Has A New Leader: Craig Cannonier Is Out, Cole Simons Steps In". Bermuda Real. 28 October 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  12. ^ "Cole Simons Stands Down As OBA Leader". Bernews. 28 October 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  13. ^ "Jarion Richardson Sworn In As Opposition Leader". Bernews. 28 October 2020. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
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