A Week in Politics

The wind whistling through the wheat, the scythes slicing through the stalks, the chatter of folk working out in the field …

Yep, it was the unmistakeable sound of the Council of Ministers reaping what they had sown.

It’s way too early to say how the ‘shadow cabinet’ mooted by Members left out in the cold by the minister and Scrutiny chairman elections is going to work out.

But it doesn’t set the tone for three years of peaceful, happy co-existence – that’s for sure.

And when it gets ugly, as it will, the Council of Ministers will have the pleasure of being able to sit back, survey the situation, take a swig on a long, cool drink and a puff on a cigar and reflect that they did it entirely to themselves.

It wasn’t just the way that they leaned on Members from the same political school instead of opening the door to new ideas and policies when filling the ministerial positions.

The kicker was the way that the former Social Security Minister Paul Routier was shunted from the Health job, which he lost to Senator Jim Perchard, to the Education job, which he also lost.

It wasn’t just the fact that Deputy James Reed was dropped like a dirty sock, right up until the moment Members elected him as Education Minister anyway.

But it’s this: that’s not how inclusive government works – still less when Chief Minister Terry Le Sueur and Economic Development Minister Alan Maclean just chucked Senator Routier a couple of assistant minister jobs anyway, which no-one could do anything about.

That’s how a political party works.

There’s nothing wrong with being in a political party. But there is something wrong with acting like you’re in one, not saying you’re in one, and talking about inclusivity and consensus without doing a single thing to back it up.

Which brings us back, more or less, to the ‘shadow cabinet’, which is a strange bunch of people – politically speaking. And that’s interesting in itself – because they haven’t just reached out to States Members from the left.

Do Senator Stuart Syvret and Deputy Mike Higgins have a lot in common? I’m guessing not. Do Deputy Montfort Tadier and Deputy Jeremy Maçon have the same policy priorities? Again, probably not.

As a political party, it’s probably too broad to work. And then again, there’s already a political party – the Jersey Democratic Alliance and its four Members – in the middle of it, which would probably complicate matters too.

But that doesn’t have to matter.

They haven’t yet decided what they’re going to do, or how they’re going to do it. And that’s interesting too, because it suggests something other than a knee-jerk, anti-ministerial intention.

One of the failings of the current system that balances the Council of Ministers off against Scrutiny is that while it takes a minister less time to make a decision than it takes me to smoke a delicious duty free cigarette, the Scrutiny panels are stuck in the old ponderous rhythm of panel meetings, shaping terms of reference, appointing advisers, calling for evidence, noting correspondence, scheduling hearings, holding hearings, drafting reports, circulating draft reports, rewriting reports and publishing.

Basically, for Chelsea fans whose memories go back further than Roman Abramovic, it’s like watching Arjen Robben taking on the affectionately nicknamed Michael ‘Clubfoot’ Duberry.

What the system lacks is an alternative policy voice – or a more immediate weighing-up of ministerial proposals and plans.

And if the ‘shadow cabinet’ can go beyond opposition for its own sake, or the automatic objection to anything with a minister’s signature at the bottom of it, then they could fill a significant gap.

Time to declare an interest: last week I wrote that it doesn’t make any sense to extend electoral terms to four years.

And that’s true. It really doesn’t.

But I should probably have added that I’ve got an axe to grind.

I made four bets on the last elections, worth a total of £211. And I won them all, which is nice.

The point is this: I can’t really afford to see the electoral term extended. Not when there are journalists, PR people and politicians with more money than sense around who need their pockets lightened.

But should I be surprised that the politician was the last to pay up?

If timing is the most important skill a stand-up comedian can have, then the Very Rev Bob Key seems destined for the stage at Jongleurs.

There’s never a good time to ask ratepayers to stump up £1m to do up a building, particularly when it’s one used by what can only be described as small minority of the parish.

But if you’re going to do it, then the week before Christmas is probably the best bet. This one could be good fun – St Helier Constable Simon Crowcroft appears to be against the idea, setting up a nice church vs. state clash for early 2009.