Free Democratic Movement Explained

Free Democratic Movement
Leader:Marc Bean
Split:Progressive Labour Party
Abbreviation:FDM
Ideology:Conservative liberalism
Classical liberalism
Subsidiarity
Position:Centre-right
Headquarters:Melbourne House, 11 Parliament Street
Hamilton
Seats1 Title:Senate
Seats2 Title:House of Assembly
Colours: Green
Gold
Red
Country:Bermuda
Blank1 Title:UK affiliation

The Free Democratic Movement (FDM) is the newest of the three political parties in Bermuda. It was founded by former Progressive Labour Party leader Marc Bean in September 2020 to contest the 2020 Bermudian general election on October 1, 2020.[1] It fielded 14 candidates for the 36-seat legislature, winning no seats and placing second in 4 races, with 5% of the vote.[2]

Policies

Bean identifies as a classical liberal.[3]

The FDM's policies include:

In the area of education, the FDM wants to downsize the Department of Education to improve efficiency, introduce a school voucher system as well as an independent system to monitor the performance of schools, and devolve control of what schools teach to educators.[4]

Among other issues, the FDM wants to abolish taxes on sugar and dividends, and has stated its neutrality to same-sex marriage.[5] [6] [7]

The party did not have any published activity after the 2020 election until 2024, when leader Marc Bean announced that the party intended to "re-emerge", although he did not commit to leading the party into the next elections.[8]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Bean on FDM: honesty sets us apart | The Royal Gazette:Bermuda News. Sarah. Lagan. The Royal Gazette. 11 September 2020 .
  2. News: Official List: 2020 General Election Winners. 2 October 2020. 5 October 2020.
  3. Web site: Column: Classical Liberalism & Political Ideology. 30 August 2016. BerNews.
  4. Web site: Education reform. fdmbermuda.com . 2020-10-01.
  5. Web site: Election 2020: Bean backs tax cuts | The Royal Gazette:Bermuda News. Duncan. Hall. The Royal Gazette. 25 September 2020 .
  6. Web site: FDM proud of its big-tent philosophy | The Royal Gazette:Bermuda News. Fiona. McWhirter. The Royal Gazette. 21 September 2020 .
  7. Web site: Leaders' forum: Bean champions future generations. The Royal Gazette. 29 September 2020 .
  8. Web site: FDM | The Royal Gazette:Bermuda News. Jonathan. Bell. The Royal Gazette. 11 January 2024 .