Election surveys are a snapshot of the current situation in which they are taken.  Nothing more, nothing less.   I describe them as a "weather report" and they should be kept in that perspective, and in no way do they indicate what would happen in a general election. But admittedly, surveys do give an indication of people's mood.

Last Sunday, MaltaToday carried out an election survey, and the results showed Labour enjoying an encouragingly growing lead over the Nationalist Party. It also shows that Prime Minister and Labour leader Robert Abela enjoys a huge lead, in people's trust, over his political counterpart, Bernard Grech.

Whilst acknowledging the limitations of election surveys, however, the outcome does not surprise me. Here is why.

I spend most of my working hours and weekends too, meeting people- usually starting as early as 6.30 am!   I believe in the extraordinary benefits of house visits, for instance, because they give you the opportunity to meet people in their houses where they feel free to share with you their challenges and aspirations. I visit social clubs too, within my districts and beyond, and there too people open and express their true feelings with me. My job is to listen and act.

There was a time, particularly in the so-called independent media and their respective echo-chambers, that this style of doing politics was genuinely frowned upon and internally criticised.  But I think that people like me and others proved those doubters wrong.

In recent weeks, I could feel that people, in general, are increasingly appreciative of the sterling work being done by the Labour government. We have our own shortcomings, of course, of which we are aware and are effectively being addressed. But in general, people feel that our policies are having a positive impact on their daily lives.

Take inflation, for instance. No one is saying that the prices of everyday items have gone cheap - global inflation led to a surge in the price of everyday items, but people in Malta are grateful that the government addressed inflationary issues and has cushioned consumers to the best of its abilities. Compare and contrast this situation with mainland Europe where consumers have to pay dearly for essential items every day.

Even more so is the situation with regards to energy (water and electricity) and fuel prices. Were it not for government subsidies, consumers in Malta would be paying exorbitant bills as consumers in Europe are doing. Despite huge pressures from the Opposition Nationalist Party, and even from the EU, to remove these subsidies, the Robert Abela administration stood firm and did not budge. Consumers are appreciative of this.

Another issue which, in recent years, has been bothering many is overpopulation. Since 2013, our economy has grown at impressive rates, which means that thousands of new jobs were created, and our economy is the fastest growing within the EU. This impressive economic success, however, meant the need to import foreign workers, which admittedly are essential to run key sectors of the economy - mostly catering and the services industry. But, the government was aware that overpopulation needed to be addressed, and hence, the Malta Labour Migration Policy, which sets key targets to address this complex issue. It is becoming increasingly clear that the people are appreciative of this new policy and are confident that the government has the right tools and the determination to address it effectively.

In the past few days, we have also launched Vision 2050, which spells out in detail the Labour government plans for the Malta of today and tomorrow. It is an ambitious plan, but the people of Malta are confident that it will be achieved. Our positive track record speaks for itself and gives people the necessary confidence.

Over and above all this, there was the positive impact of Budget 2025, which announced the biggest tax cut in Malta's history and further increased pensions and childrens' allowances. The health sector, too, despite the numerous challenges of a growing population, is on the right track whilst new and greener spaces are being inaugurated to the relief of families across Malta and Gozo.

In my sector, that of culture and the arts, we are investing heavily, which means that more local artists and creators are being given the opportunity to grow their talent. We have done so much in the past few years in these sectors, and we have so much more to do. Massive projects have been inaugurated, and others will follow. Funds, in their millions, have been allocated to local artists, and more will follow. We can afford to do this because we have a strong economy.

And across the political divide, the Opposition Nationalist Party is in disarray. They attack their own people, and a handful of PN MPs call the shots overruling their own party leader.

They are divided into factions and fight fire all day, having neither time nor interest in coming up with alternative policies that make a difference to people's lives. It is a sad situation indeed that has been in a status quo position since before 2013 when the PN lost heavily to Labour after more than two decades in government.

Since then, the Nationalist Party lost precious time in political infighting without pausing to put their house in order. It is a mess, really, and the situation is only getting worse. There are rumours that Bernard Grech is fighting for his own political survival, whilst the extremist faction within the party constantly gets the upper hand.

Faced with such a deep contrast between Labour and the Nationalist Party, it is no wonder that people are increasingly trusting Labour. For who would want to trust his or her future in the hands of a political party that is not even able to put its own house in order?

I am, of course, not implying that Labour can sit comfortably on its laurels watching the PN unravel. Labour has never done so and certainly will not do so now. Labour's priority is to make people's lives better, and in the coming weeks and months, it shall double its efforts to ensure a better quality of life for all.