From Brian Beadle.
I feel I must reply to your correspondent Brian Villette (JEP, 29 August).
What planet is he, and many other like him, on? Has he not been following the news of late? Senator Frank Walker is retiring from the States at these next elections after many years of excellent service to his Island.
The Senator was an excellent chancellor before being elected (yes, elected) to the position of Chief Minister and since then he has continued to serve this Island with dignity and has successfully steered the ministerial ship through some very troubled waters.
May I remind your correspondent and everybody else that the very States Members you and I elected to the States to do a job for the Island elected Senator Walker to the position of Chief Minister. I believe that is called democracy and it works very well in Jersey and how dare anybody claim otherwise.
May I also remind your readers that the election for Chief Minister was conducted by the States Members and ended in a two-horse race between Senator Walker and Senator Syvret.
Just imagine, for a moment, if Senator Syvret had been elected as Chief Minister. Here we have a bitter man who lost the plot some time ago. He has no respect for his fellow members no respect for the Bailiff or the legal system, he goes crying to the press and UK government if he cannot get his way and he is rude to the extreme.
You only have to read his website to discover that he has contributed nothing in the past three years to the government of the Island and he has consistently voted against propositions brought to the House.
He thinks that by using exaggerated language, he is being clever, but in fact it just shows that he is incapable of conversing in simple English. Is this the conduct required or expected of a person who tops the poll and is thus expected to represent the people? I think not.
If he had been elected by his fellow States Members as Chief Minister this Island would almost certainly be on the path to self-destruction and I am sure the fledgling ministerial government would be in complete turmoil by now.
Thank goodness for the level-headed, politically astute, albeit sometimes controversial, Senator Frank Walker. Thank you Frank for your time in the States and may you enjoy your retirement. You have served the Island well and you can be very proud of everything you have achieved.
Les Châtaigniers,
Rue de la Monnaie,
Trinity.
Article posted on 2nd September, 2008 - 2.58pm
32 Article Comments
No Frank you haven’t served the island very well. You have shafted it, and it’s poeople, internationally. But thank you for the Jeremy Paxman interview, absolutlely priceless!!
Elected? Not by the Jersey people he wasn’t. He was ‘elected’ by his cronies. The sooner he, and all the others like him, are gone from the States, the sooner Jersey can start to recover.
Walker was gifted the job by the “old boys club” had it been a vote by the People of Jersey he would not of have had a chance!
Frank Walker has been an utter disgrace and a total disaster, he has shown nothing but arrogance and contempt for the majority of islanders. I am glad he is going but dread to think who is the replacement , you can be sure it will be another finance industry puppet.
what planet is Brian Beadle on?!!!!! Frank Walker is a total disgrace, shame he is retiring and won’t be there for the next election as he would be most certainly booted out of his position, unfortunately we won’t have the joy of seeing that, such a pity!!!!
QUOTE: “States Members you and I elected to the States to do a job for the Island elected Senator Walker to the position of Chief Minister. I believe that is called democracy and it works very well in Jersey and how dare anybody claim otherwise.”
I ask the question how is it a democracy if we, the public, did not vote in Frank Walker? You may compare this to the UK goverment where the public did not vote for Gordon Brown but the public will have a chance to vote him out if they wish as there are other political parties to vote for and they also have local elections to vote in. In Jersey you have no way of voting out the Chief Minister or even voting for a political party.
And on the subject of Well done, What for? You have not mentioned one good thing Mr Walker has done and i have trouble remembering the good issues. I can only presume you may be in the club and looking to get voted in? there is a name for that.
Oh dear, what exactly has Senator Walker done good for this island? I really don’t think he has anything to be proud of!
What a load of tosh …what is this person on…and why has it made the news so much!!!
It all seems to point to the Jersey “old boy” club once again.
May I remind Mr Beadle that Mr Walker only just scraped last post in the last elections and if it weren’t for the voter empathy status in Jersey I can assure you here wouldnt have got in!!!!! Mr Walker has total diregard for the people of this Island he cannot even conduct himself appropriately in front of cameras (a place which he represents our Island). All I can say to anyone that reads this - yes Mr Walker will no longer be in the States however, we certainly do not want people like him to continue with the way the Island is going. We can acheive so much more for our Island and we need the right people in to do so - PLEASE VOTE!!!!
having just read mr beadle’s letter, I can only presume that he is somehow related to the late Jeremy Beadle and shares his hilarious abiltiy to pull off funny gags and pranks … well done mate, you had me fooled for a bit with that complete tosh … but you should have time your letter for April 1st.
given the comments above, i rest my case without even feeling the need to pick it up.
all I will say is what planet are you living on ? who in their right mind would think that Walker has done a good job ? He was certainly not voted in by me and its shame I wont be able to NOT vote him in again this time but then he is to chicken to even try again as he knows he will get NIL POINTS.
God only knows who we will have in his place lets just hope and pray its not Le Sueur !
Had the post of Chief Minister gone to the politician with the largest public mandate in the form of votes at the Senatorial elections then Senator Syvret would have been running this Island instead. Going by the Paxman interview on Newsnight and his principled stand on so many issues I think he would have been an excellent, compassionate and courageous leader for our shabby little ‘democracy’. But then that would have upset the finance industry so it was never going to happen, despite the people’s clear choice. Oligarchy is a word Stuart Syvret is fond of, but what’s the ancient Greek for ‘government by the money jugglers, for the money jugglers’? Jersey is not a democracy, Walker’s years in power proves that beyond doubt.
Bruce - spot on - I was thinking the same thing!
The question now is, how are we going to prevent a repetition of this scenario with Terry Le Sueur becoming the next Chief Minister?
Please God do not let Le Sueur in as Chief Minister. He is where he is simply because he is and always has been Walkers little yes man. Electing him to Chief Minister will ensure Walker continues to run things from the sidelines, without even being a member of the States. And considering how Le Sueur trampled on the people’s feelings over GST, what on earth will he stampede through when he has the top job. It just doesn’t bear thinking about.
And just which “good job” of Walker’s was it that solicited that drivel above?
DICTATOR! Mr B is what you are trying to say but cannot convince yourself! Good riddance to the unelected Chief Minister, I certainly did not get the option to vote for who should lead us! The GREED will always prevail so what has he done for you?
I think Brian is being sarcastic. we all know Walker has presided over the biggest squandering of taxpayers money ever.
We have just been through huge growth and still we have a deficit. goodness knows how the books will look after the upcoming recession.
He made the Island a laughing stock by his apperance on Newsnight.
No, I don’t think we will be thanking him fro much when he leaves.
Thanks Nellie, and is it just me or does TLeS really look like a koala bear?
I can only assume Mr Beadle is a close relation to Mr Walker?
A democratic vote that would be a first if this island ever allowed one!
Frank Walker has served himself well by making his finances grow at the expense of us islanders. He has never had any interest on improving the island for the working class!
He is a disgrace and a total muppet who has embarrassed this island on TV by his arrogant manner when conducting live interviews aired to millions.
He will retire and I’m sure he will not be forgotton, but not for his contribution as a politician but as a bumbling idiot!
ahahahaaahaahahahaaaha too funny! obviously this was meant to be an ironic take on the last few years…..?
The answer to your question Nellie is; we can’t do much unless we use our vote wisely.
The only people who can stop Le Sueur becoming the next CM are those candidates voted in.
The only way to ensure that Le Sueur’s lap dogs don’t get enough votes to vote him in is to vote them out. Unfortunately, while the question to ask in the hustings could be “would you vote for TleS to be the next CM?”, history tells us that we don’t often get honesty at the hustings and that candidates often do a u-turn once elected.
We all know the members of the gang are. VOTE THEM OUT! It is the only way.
I somehow feel that if Le Sueur was not so cowardly and stood for re-election, he knows full well that his political days would be over.
It is a forgone conclusion that Terry Le Sueur will be the next CM.
Just as it is that the office will pass to Philip Ozouf afterwards.
The whole thing stinks!
For what its worth my opinion is that the person who tops a Senatorial election should automatically get the job.
A sitting CM wouold have to submit to said Senatorial elections.
Won’t happen of course!
After reading the comments posted on here re Mr Walker not many of you like him, well liking someone is totally different to how he has performed, if you look around this beautiful island it is because of ministers like Mr Walker, he is proud to be an islander and tries his best to keep our heads above water, Mr Walker who is a successful buisness man, has worked tirelessly for all of us, i suggest a lot of you do not like him because you are jealous. Myself i am neither for or against him , but in retrospect his stability has kept this island the way it is, i cannot see anyone in the states at the moment who has the accumen that Mr Walker has , possibly the “boy Ozouf” or maybe in a couple of years Alan Mc Clean, no doubt time will tell.
As for Mr Walker on a personal basis he has overcome the back biting, personal attacks on his family,and private life and kept his cool, as for the paxman interview i suggest that you look at Paxman, he just the type of bullying interviewer who wants to look good on the telly and justify his massive million pound salary the BBC pay him.
I don’t mind Phil Ozouf, I think he works hard.
I cannot relate to this letter though. Let FW resign and go quietly. I cannot really add more than that.
Philip Ozouf works hard for the finance industry and not ordinary people in this island.
His add on costs to retailers for the GST price on shelves fiasco is another reason I would NEVER give him my vote.
Bring on the newbies!
Well it is clear to see who is hoping for a date with Senator Walker, or perhaps a nice little xmas bonus as it is fast coming round again! I cannot believe that there are still people on the island who are so narrow minded, ignorant and short sighted to see what Senator Walker and the Bailiff are doing to the Island and its reputation on a worldwide scene. I can say on good authority that the Island is a laughing stock throughout eastern Europe.
Comment for Bruce (post 17) TleS looks more like an aged Goblin from batman movies!!
It is a very feeble excuse not to vote for Philip Ozouf just because of the pricing issue. When you hear people say rubbish like this it makes you wonder who they believe would be better to do such a great job with economic development. Just imagine if the JDA were running the economy, what a nightmare that would be.
While I would agree with the majority view, that Senator Walker has not shone in the role, he should share the blame with the many other States Members who also voted to bring in the “cherry-picked Clothier” ministerial system. They have made all the ministers’ jobs, especially the chief’s, too big to to be within an ordinary man or woman’s competence, and, as we don’t get any supermen standing for office they are all set up to fail from the start.
Yer just like the JDA.
When assessing candidates who are seeking election or re-election we should not be looking at what they are like personally. Their mandates are of primary importance. Unfortunately in Jersey we tend to vote for people we like / are related to / lived next door / been to school with etc. What we should be doing is cross-examining them regarding current issues and asking how they would have voted on past ones. Make a note of their replies and if they get into office, constantly remind them (if necessary, via the media) of their promises. We cannot elect the government the people want unless we start voting for policies and not people.
Mr Sensible at comment 23, your not frank walker are you? or a close friend? I am sorry but i keep searching for the good things that he has done in the four years in charge up to the start of this year? May i ask you and Mr Beadle, as i have asked before, please do list the good things he has done for the people of Jersey. Unfortunatly any mandate that is implemented takes time to take effect and i bet that in a year or so we will be seeing the mistakes come to light. Please also tell me of any such mandates that have help me in my life?