Bermudian general election, 2017

Bermudian general election, 2017

← 2012 18 July 2017
First party Second party   Leader Edward David Burt Michael Dunkley Party PLP OBA Leader's seat Pembroke West Central Smiths North Seats before 17 19 Seats won 24 12 Seat change 7 7 Popular vote 20,059 13,832 Percentage 58.89% 40.61%
Results by constituency
Premier before election Michael Dunkley OBA Elected Premier Edward David Burt PLP

Michael Dunkley
OBA

Edward David Burt
PLP

General elections were held in Bermuda on 18 July 2017 to elect all 36 members to the House of Assembly. The result was a victory for the opposition Progressive Labour Party, which won 24 of the 36 seats. Incumbent Premier Michael Dunkley subsequently resigned as leader of the One Bermuda Alliance.Bob Richards, a senior minister and deputy premier in Dunkley's government unexpectedly lost his Devonshire East seat in a Portillo moment.

Under section 49(2) of the Bermuda Constitution Order 1968, the Parliament of Bermuda must be dissolved by the Governor five years after its first meeting following the previous elections (unless the Premier advises the Governor to dissolve parliament sooner). Under section 51(1) of the Constitution, a general election must be held no later than three months after a dissolution. The first meeting of the parliament elected in December 2012 took place on 8 February 2013, meaning parliament would have needed to be dissolved before midnight on 7 February 2018 for elections to take place before 7 May 2018.

However, after the ruling One Bermuda Alliance lost its majority in the House of Assembly when two of its MPs left to sit as independents, the opposition Progressive Labour Party proposed a vote of no-confidence which was scheduled for 9 June 2017. Dunkley pre-empted the vote on 8 June 2017 by asking the Governor to dissolve the House and call elections for 18 July 2017.