In March, Hadia Tajik resigned as deputy leader of the Labor Party after the commuter housing scandal. Then Bjørnar Skjæran had to fill the shoes of deputy leader alone, after sharing the position with Tajik since 2019. Bjørnar Skjæran was to become a strong and clear voice from the north. But it has been the most unanimous, we are to believe a recent poll conducted on behalf of news. Almost half of the respondents believe that Skjæran does a bad, or very bad, job. Skjæran: – Take voters seriously The analysis agency InFact has asked 1,016 northerners on behalf of news Nordland about how well they think Bjørnar Skjæran is doing his job as deputy leader of the Labor Party. Skjæran has been criticized for only caring about Nordland, but people in Nordland don’t seem to be impressed either. Bjørnar Skjæran writes an answer in an e-mail to news Nordland: – That people in Nordland have high expectations both of me and the Government should be missing. Skjæran says he takes the feedback from the voters seriously. Nevertheless, he has faith in the Labor Party’s project. He believes that they are already seeing signs that the move they have made has started to work, but that it is far from the goal. Bjørnar Skjæran, deputy leader of the Labor Party, tells news that they have chosen to introduce ground rent tax on aquaculture so that those who have the most must also contribute more to the larger community. Photo: Malin Nygård Solberg / news – The Labor Party is not where we want to be in the polls, writes Skjæran. – Our most important task is to take the country safely through the demanding peaks and ensure that we protect ordinary people and their wallets as well as possible. – Naturally, the dissatisfaction is directed at the management Mona Nilsen, manager of Nordland Ap, is not too surprised by the disappointing figures on Skjæran’s job as deputy manager. – This is probably related to the fact that the Labor Party is now doing very poorly and is very low in national opinion polls, she says. – It is natural that the dissatisfaction then also directs itself towards the leadership in the party. – We must consider that we had a situation in 2016 where Høgre was low in the opinion polls and the Arbeidarpartiet high, without us having done so much for it, says Mona Nilsen, leader of the Nordland Arbeidarparti. Photo: Synnøve Sundby Fallmyr / news The head of Nordland Ap says they get a lot of positive feedback about Skjæran. – People say Bjørnar is an open and listening deputy when he travels around the country. He is keen to see both the members and the voters, Nilsen believes. But she thinks much of the work is overshadowed by matters of interest, price increases and electricity prices. – The crisis policy has probably overshadowed many of the good issues we voted on. In addition to being deputy leader of the Labor Party, Bjørnar Skjæran is Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. In the autumn, he has therefore been very much in the wind in matters of ground rent tax for the fishing industry. Photo: Synnøve Sundby Fallmyr – Do they not think the voters are aware that times are hard, and just think that the wrong priorities are being made? – Basically, it will be natural to think. At the same time, we see that Høgre is rushing forward in opinion polls. Høgre also does not have an answer to these problems in their alternative state budget, Nilsen believes. – I don’t think we can get across well enough what can dampen the rise in costs for people. Nilsen says that the Labor Party in Nordland notices that they have a Norseman in a central position in the party, although perhaps not all other Norsemen notice it. – I think we do, but it could be that we don’t convey what it means well enough in our messages. Political processes take time. – Does not mark Nordland enough Stein Sneve, political commentator in Avisa Nordland, believes that many people experience Skjæran as a disappointment, because he does not represent Nordland enough. – It probably has to do with expectation. It is expected that a deputy leader in the country’s largest party will do more for Nordland than Bjørnar Skjæran has achieved. Nevertheless, he points out that Skjæran was central in getting the New City New Airport project in place in Bodø. But he thinks that only helps voter turnout in the largest city in Nordland. – You probably experience Skjæran as a disappointment because you don’t feel that he marks Nordland enough, says Stein Sneve, political commentator in Avisa Nordland. Photo: Kåre Riibe Ramskjell / news – Skjæran does not stand out as a Nordic politician. He stands out as a national politician, says Sneve. – Do the northerners have too great expectations of Skjæran? – I think you have, but you may also have been a bit spoiled in the past, says the political commentator. Nordland has had a number of notable politicians in the past, such as Karl Eirik Schjøtt Pedersen from Finnmark. – But it is a few years back in time, and politicians are becoming more alike. It is more difficult now to be the clear voice for a region. As deputy manager, you must represent the entire country. Sneve, on the other hand, does not think it has been a disadvantage for the deputy leader to fulfill both the role of fisheries and marine minister and deputy leader at the same time. – I think it is an advantage that he has both roles, says Sneve.
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Bjørnar Skjæran is beaten in a new opinion poll – 48 percent think he is doing a bad job – news Nordland
