From Pierre Horsfall.
THE leading article (JEP, 21 January) was titled ‘A blow against democracy’. How right that title was. Change is needed, but what a way to go about it.

As things stand, the most balanced and representative seat in the States is that of Senator, simply because their constituency is Islandwide. Yet States Members have voted to reduce the number of Senators from 12 to eight.

This decision was made with voting of 28 in favour, of which 24 were elected in a small constituency, each with a very small number of votes compared with the Senators and some with no votes at all, as they were unopposed at election time. I fail to understand how they feel able to use their voting power in this way.

This is not parliamentary democracy; it is an affront to parliament democracy and also an affront to all those who vote in the election of Senators.

I also think that the way this decision was reached invites adverse comment from the UK Justice Department, whose task it is to submit the eventual law change to the Queen in Council for approval. What a dangerous door to open.

As I said in a previous letter, the whole subject of electoral reform should be addressed by an electoral commission. Piecemeal tinkering from within will never produce a coherent solution.

For the record, I see this commission as being made up of knowledgeable local people, assisted perhaps by a representative of a UK university who has a reputation for great expertise in parliamentary democracy. That way, we have a good chance of getting it right.

Not to get it right would be a calamity that would stay with us for many years to come and would be to Jersey’s long-term detriment.