Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1439469
NEWS Christmas specials 9 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 26 DECEMBER 2021 2-Sept-18 7-O ct-18 11-Nov-18 23-Dec-18 03-Feb-19 02-Mar-19 07-Apr-19 5-May-19 3-Nov-19 2-Feb-20 15-Mar-20 12-Apr-20 24-May-20 21-Jun-20 19-Jul-20 6-Sep-20 11-Oct-20 9-Nov-20 6-Dec-20 9-Jan-21 7-Feb-21 7-Mar-21 11-Apr-21 9-May-21 6-Jun-21 11-Jul-21 5-Sep-21 10-Oct-21 7-Nov-21 5-Dec-21 47.7% 48.3% 42.0% 44.1% 49.2% 46.0% 49.1% 51.9% 45.9% 47.8% 45.1% 40.3% 44.2% 39.2% 41.8% 44.8% 44.9% 43.3% 45.8% 24 .8% 28.9% 20.2% 29.0% 24.4% 27.3% 25.1% 29.0% 26.9% 23.8% 19.1% 22.1% 21.7% 23.5% 30.0% 32.4% 30.3% 33.6% 32.6% 35.6% 30.0% 31.1% 27.3% 29.8% 31.9% 0.2% 0.4% 0.6% 0.6% 0.4% 1.5% 0.1% 0.7% 0.7% 0.3% 0.9% 0.6% 1.7% 0.5% 0.8% 1.1% 1.2% 1.6% 0.8% 0.1% 0.4% 0.7% 0.9% 0.1% 0.6% 0.4% 0.3% 1.2% 0.4% 9 .7% 4.0% 16.0% 7.1% 19.3% 17.3% 12.4% 17.5% 17.2% 14.1% 18.7% 14.5% 12.6% 6.6% 6.6% 11.1% 9.2% 11.7% 13.5% 9.9% 17.3% 16.3% 13.8% 13.2% 9.8% 8.6% 8.1% 7.2% 10.3% 18.2% 20.3% 12.3% 11.7% 13.3% 12.2% 13.3% 8.1% 11.1% 9.4% 8.4% 12.4% 12.3% 11.2% 11.4% PN ADPD PD Far-right Don't know Not Voting current voting intentions abela - grech trust barometer Apr May Jun Jul Sep Oct Nov Dec 47.2% 49.6% 50.4% 51.6% 51.5% 49.2% 48.9% 51.1% 35.8% 25.7% 29.3% 30.4% 29.5% 25.9% 28.0% 26.5% 10.3% 18.1% 16.7% 14.6% 17.8% 20.4% 20.2% 18.7% 6.8% 6.6% 3.5% 3.3% 1.1% 4.5% 2.9% 3.7% Robert Abela Bernard Grech Neither Don't know Between June and December, the PN's fortunes did not recover from that hit with Grech attempt- ing different excuses to justify the dismal poll results as his party failed to capitalise on govern- ment's woes. The PN leader did manage to improve the party's performance when compared to past results under his predecessor but the steps forward fell far short of what is required to present a credible challenge to the PL. A matter of trust A trend that was confirmed in 2021 was the popularity of the re- spective leaders in relation to the support their parties enjoyed. Robert Abela remained more popular than the PL, while Grech languished behind his party. This trend suggests that the PL has a growth potential because its lead- er is better placed to convince doubters to vote for it. 2021 was the first full year in which the trust ratings of Abela and Grech could be compared. The trend line for both leaders largely mimicked that of their re- spective parties with the Prime Minister doing better in the sec- ond half of the year, while Grech seeing his rating wane between July and December. In the first six months, Abela's trust rating averaged at 45.1%, having been hit by the initial mis- handling of the pandemic at the start of the year. But between July and December, Abela's average trust rating shot up to 50.5%, a five-point jump. Grech's average trust rating be- tween January and June stood at 32.6% but slipped by almost five points to 28.1% in the second half of the year. The average for the whole year saw Abela enjoy a 17-point lead over his rival – the Prime Minis- ter's average trust rating stood at 47.6% in 2021 and the PN leader's rating stood at 30.6%. The numbers suggest that La- bour is on course to win the next general election in a big way but like Harold Wilson once said, a week is a long time in politics. The latest surge in coronavirus cases and government's handling of the situation could be the big- gest threat Labour faces although Abela has learnt his lesson and avoided the gratuitous talk that landed him in trouble earlier this year. But while for Labour, managing the new normal will be the most important thing until the elec- tion, the PN will be hoping it can disrupt the pattern.