Victory for the Council of Ministers

In addition, Senator Walker had the satisfaction of seeing humiliating defeat inflicted on the motion of censure proposed by Deputy Geoff Southern, which sank with scarcely a ripple.

It is clear from the outcome of these proceedings that an overwhelming majority of Members are satisfied that the executive is fulfilling its duties and meeting its objectives – as defined in the Strategic Plan. But this does not mean that all is absolutely well or that the Council of Ministers can be absolved of all responsibility for mistakes which, manifestly, they have made.

If the vote of no confidence was ultimately transformed into a vote of confidence, it also offered rank and file Members the opportunity to review and evaluate executive performance and to criticise where criticism was due.

Moreover, as Deputy Pat Ryan pointed out, there is an enormous gulf between public opinion and most serving politicians’ level of satisfaction with the Council of Ministers and the Chief Minister. Senator Walker might today be in clear and reinforced command of the House but his triumph over his arch critic, Senator Syvret, is not reflected outside the States Chamber.

This idea featured during the seven and a half hours of the confidence debate, but the present Council of Ministers and their successors must begin to understand more clearly why their ability to meet targets and their generally measured approach fails to win popular support whereas the passion and demagoguery of Senator Syvret still succeeds in winning a degree of public approval – even when he so willingly sacrifices substance in favour of bitter invective, intemperate personal attacks and plain abuse.

Perceived executive high-handedness, lack of empathy with the common man, the triumph of spin over substance and instinctive suspicion of those in power all play their parts in undermining faith in government, but so, too, do the very strategic goals which ministers have set and achieved. Too many of these have been finessed into existence without bringing the public on board.

Meanwhile, ‘middle Jersey’ cannot dismiss the confidence and censure debates as mere internal wrangling among unrepresentative representatives. Only a fool would imagine that all our politicians are fools, so their resounding endorsement of the council and its leader must be taken seriously.

In addition, the electorate must realise that wreckers are poor leaders. It is, therefore, just as well that Senator Syvret has made it clear in the plainest possible terms that he has ruled out all aspirations to becoming the captain of the ship of state.