Spring 2024 – News and States Assembly

They say week is a long time in politics and while the Assembly is made up of the same people, the Government certainly is not. Although notwithstanding a Vote of No Confidence, a new Chief Minister, a lot of work, uncertainty, speech-writing and difficult meetings – I am very happy to report that I have my old job back as Minister for International Development and Chair of Jersey Overseas Aid Commission. I was also appointed as an Assistant Minister of External Relations to pursue my work on the Island Identity project and to advance the ‘soft power’ of diplomacy with other jurisdictions.

Whether you believe the whole upheaval of a mid-term change of Government was worth it, the whole process has given rise to a number of questions. The fact that each of the last few Chief Ministers and therefore Governments have faced a Vote of No Confidence (albeit this last one being the only one to have succeeded (by 27 votes to 22) is not a habit I would like to see continue.

The issues all of this raise in my opinion are:-
• Whether Ministerial Government best serves the Island or does it create unnecessary division and excludes too many members from the Policy making process;
• Would a more consensus-style of government like a Committee system work better for Jersey;
• Now that a new Government has formed, its first job is to write a new Common Strategic Plan to set political direction, where a Political Party Manifesto would alleviate this task.

Personally I have always felt that a hybrid-version of the Committee system would serve Jersey better that the mud-slinging that goes between political parties, or indeed between Ministers and Backbenchers. But importantly and from an international perspective, stability is what Jersey offers – but needs to better demonstrate it.

All that being said, the newly formed Government has created a great deal of energy and positivity, recognising there are two years left to tackle the real issues that face us; like Housing provision, a sufficient and skilled workforce and of course good healthcare and delivery of a hospital.