New ‘shadow cabinet’ for States?
Wednesday 17th December 2008, 2:59PM GMT.
AN unofficial ‘shadow cabinet’ of States Members could be set up in response to the failure of the new Council of Ministers to embrace alternative ideas and policies.
A group of 11 States Members, who are angry about what they call the ‘one-dimensional’ tone of the ministers, say that alternative ideas and policies are already being marginalised in the new States.
The group, which includes Senator Stuart Syvret and the four Jersey Democratic Alliance members in the States, say that ministers have adopted a confrontational approach to choosing people for ministerial roles and Scrutiny panel chairmanships. They say that the ministers elected represent more of the same old policies, despite what they call a clear public mood for change and reform reflected in the election results.
A statement agreed by the 11 Members said: ‘It is deeply regrettable that the establishment should have chosen such a confrontational and anti-consensual approach to forming a new government for the Island.
‘While the Deputies election clearly showed a public mood for change and reform, this has not been reflected in either the choice of Ministers nor, in the main, Scrutiny chairmen. Indeed, quite the opposite is true.’
Pictured: The four JDA Deputies – Geoff Southern, Debbie De Sousa, and Shona and Trevor Pitman – celebrating with their supporters on election night
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Oh dear…
These JDA fools have been in the states 2 minutes and already they are trying to stir everything up!
Our politicians new and old are acting like spoilt brats kids on the schoolyard. They should focus on making this island a better place!
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Sounds like sour grapes to me. All this lot do is moan the current system is unfair and not fit for purpose and they continue to promise alternative solutions. We’re still yet to see any of these solutions.
Sorry – I shouldn’t be so cynical… Hopefully their shadow cabinet will prove to be the perfect vehicle to produce some of these solutions… Nah just stick to what you do best – snipe from the sidelines and promise what you can’t deliver for your own political gain.
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An almost inevitable result of Terry le Sueur’s Council of Mates.
In five to ten years Jersey will have full blown party politics with maybe a few independents hanging in there.
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Should be fun to watch. Slightly disappointed that Geoff Southern forgot to copy in Nellie on this perty invite. There will be tears before bedtime
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The weakest part of ministerial government to date has been the Scrutiny process, and the failure of the Panels to engage costructively with Ministers in shaping the necessary reforms. The House appears to have chosen Scrutiny chairmen who (despite what Deputy Southern would like us to believe to hide the complete failure of his permanently confrontational approach)have shown themselves to be generally open-minded and constructive. The Island wants consensus politics, not the permanent rant that is seemingly the only alternative that we have been subjected to. That is most definitely not the same as meekly swallowing what the Chief and other ministers dish up, but demands mutual respect and a common goal to serve the best interests of the Island as a whole. Let’s hope they can get it right this time, or else the alternative really may be party politics.
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Congratulations Senator Stuart Syvret. Deputy Geoff Southern et all.
Many congratulations in deciding to form a cabinet opposed to the old school of thinking. The reason, we the electorate voted for your good people,was that we think it is time for some change.
May you have good fortune in the future, doing what is best for Jersey.
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We have 53 elected States members, therefore 42 States members do not agree with you and have not signed your statement.
Many of those who have signed the statement have been elected as Deputies with relatively few votes. The important jobs went to most of those with an island wide mandate, just as I would hope my elected representative would vote.
Stop moaning and start earning your wage!
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“The group, which includes Senator Stuart Syvret and the four Jersey Democratic Alliance members in the States, say that ministers have adopted a confrontational approach to choosing people for ministerial roles and Scrutiny panel chairmanships.”
It was States members, not ministers, who elected the ministers and Scrutiny chairs.
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Seems like a good idea. Ministerial government was setup in preference to government by committee, to streamline the working of government. Hence the reciprocal to this should also have been streamlined scrutiny (opposition).
This is not to say that the proposed ‘opposition’ are to the liking of the majority, or even competent. Like it or not, the proposed ‘opposition’ does not reflects the wishes of the majority. Democracy!
The real weakness is that in our dealing Westminster and Brussels, both Jersey and Guernsey are punching way above their weight. Time for a Channel Isle assembly?
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The problem with the current council of ministers and the subsequently elected committees is surely very obvious. They are ALL, with the exception of two or three politicians, from right wing establishment benches. This can not be healthy, especially when it comes to scrutiny. The purpose of scrutiny is surely to scrutinise, not give the ministers an easy ride or turn a blind eye. The alternative view of the facts needs to be presented. It may slow processes down having a competent and real scrutiny panel, but it avoids the island making mistakes that we have to live with for decades to come.
The current situation will not help our government become more transparent, and will not help prevent highly contensious decisions (such as the Waterfront and the Incinerator) being pushed through the house without much of a debate on the facts and issues that surround them. It is a one sided house, perhaps led by the people who are still voted in by the majority of voters, but NOT representing all of the islanders.
Simple and straightforward all this.
If this shadow cabinet can do something about the situation then good. If not it might be able to at least present facts and scrutinise the States decisions on behalf of the people of Jersey.
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And this is not the same as party politics, despite this website choosing to use a big picture of the JDA. It is more about good and effective democracy.
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I wrote to the Jersey Evening Post many years ago
I was derided,ridiculed and forgotten now maybe the Islanders will exact not vengence or retribution but justice,on a Global Scale and on a World Forum.
‘Beware of the Vengence of a Patient Man”
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well, “shadow cabinet” is one way of describing themselves.
personally, I feel a more honest description would be “otherwise unemployable”.
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When will they ever turn the record over? I never voted for any of them and from this toy throwing escapade I am glad I didn’t.
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Considering that scrutiny is packed with people that are supportive of the policies of the Council of Ministers the development of an Opposition is a logical step.
Some people seem to consider the questioning of the policies followed by the Council of Ministers as tantamount to treason.
It’s not and in a free and democratic society it is an absolute necessity.
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can people stop saying that the council of ministers are right wing. they are not. we have a centrist government of a frankly Blairite hue and a far left opposition who seem to have modelled themselves on Dennis Skinner and get pally with the Tax Justice possie.
If the Council of Ministers is so right wing, why are civil servants so overpaid in Jersey? Why are there still final salary schemes for all States workers? Why is there no private involvement in the provision of services such as prisons, schools and hospitals? Why no appetite to take on the unions? Why no privatisation of JT, JEC etc? Why no sale of States assets?
Those are typically “right wing” policies and they have never even been mooted by the “establishment”. They are centre left and the reason the opposition are so absurd is because they are far left.
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I agree and it surely is very obvious that anyone that can help to make this lot running our island accountable for their decisions can only be a step in the right direction.
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I actually thought the feelings about immigration of the so called far left group was actually far right.
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In answer to Paul’s points;
1) The reason civil servants are well paid and have generous pension schemes is because in the latter decades of the 20th century Jersey had large and regular budget surpluses. Politicians grew used to buying their way to solutions.
2) Under the old commitee structure, a committees ‘worth’ was partly determined by how big it’s department was. A commitee that started privatising it’s functions would fall down the pecking order.
3) JEC is a private company but the shares have unequal voting rights, the States control just over half the share capital but have 86% of the votes. The sale of JT has been mooted but movement on anything by the States is glacially slow eg incinerator, Waterfront etc.
I know a few members of the States and I would describe their personal political views as being roughly somewhere around those of the Daily Mail.
But the lack of political parties in Jersey means that often the course of action chosen is inaction.
Members vote for the Chief Minister but they don’t have to support his policies and with tiny turnouts, rubbing the feathers of even fifty parishoners up the wrong way could mean ejection from the States next time round.
So it is safer to let the sleeping dogs lie!
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With regard to the question as to whether the establishment is left/middle or right, I know the right supports the majority of ministers, so they at least keep one political following content.
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Pip,
You are not wrong. I worked for the States. Each department was effectively required to spend his budget during a calander year or else face cuts the following year. So at the end of the year the department would spend money on anything it could think of to avoid an underspend. i think there was one year quite recently when Health, which had a budget of over £100m (from memory) spent within £1000 of that.
But the final salary scheme is the killer – it will bankrupt the Island unless it is closed urgently. But as you say, if 50 people in each parish oppose you, its electoral suicide. Mike Taylor, who had as much common sense as any States member of recent years found that out when his parish went NIMBY on him.
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During the early Eighties there was a lot of admiration for Mrs Thatcher within the States but this was tempered by the innate social conservatism of the Constables and the Deputies in particular.
The fact is that privatisation of States housing, the Harbour, Airport, JEC, JT and a few other things would have rocked so many boats and threatened to upset so many comfortable apple carts that it would have caused a huge political storm.
So they are right wing, they just don’t do much about it!
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Pip Clement, you have my vote!
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Paul – may be you should re-read the terms of your States pension. It is not a true final salary scheme even though it may be called one.
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joker,
I never had a states pension entitlement – long story. But everyone seems to think it is a final salary scheme so if you konw otherwise lets have the details.
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