Dickson C. Igwe. Photo: VINO/File

I will hasten to add that credibility is a very rare virtue indeed. Modern politics is pragmatic and self-interested. It is ‘’what is in this for me.’’ Rare indeed is the politician with credibility.

Today, only the gullible voter will take what a politician says, without a grain of salt. Still. Politics drives the world. Politics and power are siblings. There is symbiosis between the two.

The loss of voter trust is a major liability for the politician. Rulers who lose the trust of their constituents have a very rough time indeed.

A dictator may get away with the loss of credibility owing to the fact that his or her mainstay of power is raw violence. However, in democratic systems of government, a loss of credibility frequently spells disaster.

In the USA, as of this late November 2025, it appears that Donald Trump has hit a wall with both his Make America Great Again supporters and the wider constituency of rural and white America. Trump’s credibility is suffering.

Trump’s relationship with the late alleged spy and sex trafficker Geoffrey Epstein is one major factor in this loss of credibility. The second factor is Trump’s inability to tame inflation, which may be the fault of his levying tariffs on imported products.

Trump has also lost support of the Latina constituency, who are beginning to understand that aggressive anti-migration affect Latinas uniquely, even those that are US citizens. The preceding is in spite of Trump’s success at stopping a huge amount of illegal immigration.

Across the pond in the UK, the tale is even worse. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has the unenviable title, the most unpopular Prime Minister in recent history. His Labour Party is in fourth place in the opinion polls and expected to lose the next General Election decisively. The one consolation is that the election is four years away.

However, a total loss of credibility on the economy and migration means that governing in the future will be a nightmare, with plots to bring Starmer down from within his party a frequent affair.

In the Virgin Islands, there is a credibility problem for a number of politicians that stems from a bill on increasing politicians’ salaries named the ‘’Greedy Bill.’’ That may be one reason all talk of self-determination is like offering bitter cough syrup to a newborn.

Voters are angry. Talk of constitutional change goes into one ear and out the other. Angry voters are not interested in talk of constitutional reform. Political credibility suffers when there is anger on the street.

Voters show their displeasure in a number of ways, and the main way is ensuring governance is difficult for incumbents by constant grumbling and protest. This is not just a Virgin Islands "thing’’ but voter behaviour that is universal.

Getting voters on board involves regular public meetings, rallies, and conventions. That is something Make America Great Again understood, until the Epstein Affair started to stink.

In the USA, there is the threat that the Republicans may lose the Mid midterm elections. In the UK, the Labour Party will lose local elections. Governing will become near impossible over the coming months and years, owing to Starmer’s loss of credibility and popularity.

In the final analysis, the great test of credibility is a General Election. An angry voter knows that this political contest is his or her one chance to wreak revenge on an unpopular government.

Politicians had better understand that Political success is, built on trust and credibility.