Dear Editor,

On May 22, 2018, Prime Minister Andrew Holness sent Twitter in a frenzy by basically showing Dr Peter Phillips whose territory he’s in.

So Dr Peter Phillips asked a question of the day, which he later deleted: “Poll question of the day: Are you better off today than two years ago?”

The photo of this poll that Holness tweeted had 386 respondents — 64 per cent voted ‘yes’ and 36 per cent voted ‘no’.

So here’s what the prime minister tweeted, “Many thanks to Dr Peter Phillips for taking an inclusive approach to governance and transparency. It is always important to ask the people how they really feel. Our job as leaders is to listen and be responsive to citizens’ needs. Happy to see their response. #Action2018”

The leader of the People’s National Party (PNP) is way out of touch with this current Jamaica, especially in this era of social media. February 2016 was just two years ago; therefore, he should’ve remembered how the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) dominated social media and won that general election. The base and energy of the JLP have grown, not declined. He should’ve known that his base mainly uses the electronic and the print media, where they can’t be challenged.

Out of the two parties, the JLP by far outshines the PNP on social media. Also, Andrew Holness is more active and has a large following. I’ve been noticing how Jamaicans use social media. They use YouTube and Instagram mainly for entertainment and music. While Facebook and Twitter are used for everything else, including politics. The JLP ‘controls’ Twitter and Facebook. Andrew Holness is the social media king.

Dr Peter Phillips learnt a lesson the hard way. It doesn’t matter the spin he tried to do just over an hour after he saw what Andrew Holness did to him on Twitter. He ran to Instagram with the following post: “We ran a poll on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter asking Jamaicans “Are you better off today than two years ago?” The majority said NO. As leaders we want to be completely transparent and embrace the feedback from the Jamaican people in designing relevant solutions.”

According to that Instagram photo post, the numbers on Facebook were 95 per cent voted that they aren’t better off and four per cent think otherwise. While on Instagram 62 per cent said they aren’t better off while 38 per cent think otherwise.

I’m on Facebook often, and I never saw such poll. I can’t swear for Instagram because I’m hardly over there.

If he really did a post on Instagram and Facebook the message is more damning . It clearly indicates only his loyalists and friends follow him on those platforms. Also it clearly shows Andrew Holness gave him his day of shame.

Teddylee Gray

Ocho Rios, St Ann

teddylee.gray@gmail.com