Welcome to the World of Politics
By Deputy Carolyn Labey
It has been a truly memorable summer, filled with events that brought our community together. We began with Jersey’s 80th Liberation Celebrations and finished with the lively Gorey Fête and Grouville Harvest Fayre. In between, the Twinning Games took place on the Common, welcoming our French twinned towns and their families. It was wonderful to see so many people enjoying themselves, making the most of the sunshine and the sense of community spirit.
Our monthly Parish Surgeries continue to be very well attended. Topics raised have included the proposed Tenancy Laws, the location of the Gorey electric substation, solar panels in fields, mobile phone use in schools, long-term care, speed limits, and condition of our roads. If you’d like to discuss an issue, please join us — we welcome parishioners in both Grouville and St Martin regardless of where the Surgery is held.
As we move into autumn, I’d like to remind you about the newly established Community Support Group that I helped set up in St Martin. The group is made up of volunteers — all DBS checked and carrying Parish identity cards — who are here to help with everyday needs such as shopping, filling in forms, attending appointments, picking up prescriptions, or even changing a light bulb. If you or someone you know could use some support, please contact the Public Hall and they will put you in contact with a volunteer.
In June, I had the honour of giving the opening address at a UN OCHA committee meeting hosted in Jersey. For the past year, Jersey Overseas Aid has served as co-chair — a remarkable achievement for a small island, and one that highlights Jersey’s ever growing reputation for excellence in international development. The two-day event welcomed international representatives from many nations and concluded with a reception at Government House, generously hosted by our new Patron, the Lieutenant-Governor.
Earlier this year, I met with Sarah Champion MP in London, she is Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Channel Islands. She later made a visit to the Island and was so impressed with JOA’s sustainable, themed-based grants focusing on Jersey’s strengths and where we bring expertise and therefore add value to our projects, that she invited us to make a submission to her group and which now forms part of her report to the UK Parliament.
Building on my work in New Jersey last year, I wrote an article for ‘NJ Municipalities’ magazine, which is distributed to around 7,000 readers across the State. I was delighted to see it published, raising awareness of our Island and strengthening ties with our namesake. Some of these links are already bearing fruit — in 2026 we hope to welcome one or two Princeton students for summer placements. These are high-calibre students, capable of developing strategies and policy frameworks — not for doing the photocopying and making cups of tea!
Looking ahead amongst other topics, the States Assembly will soon return to debating the role of Senators, with the aim of finalising the law and hopefully getting it over the line in time for the elections next June. We will also revisit the Tenancy Laws, after the reference back last July.
Your views are valued, if you would like to contact me, please email c.labey@gov.je or call 852488. You can also visit www.carolynlabey.je or www.islandidentity.je.