Business leaders call for stability as Gorst faces no confidence vote

Tony Moretta, Digital Jersey’s chief executive, said that both Chief Minister Ian Gorst and Assistant Chief Minister Philip Ozouf were ‘100 per cent supportive’ of the digital economy and an overhaul of the Island’s government could derail growth plans for the next eight to 12 months.

Meanwhile, Chris Clark, chairman of the Institute of Directors, has also called for ‘stable policy’, as he says the Island ‘faces challenges of a scale which we have not seen in many years, including Brexit externally, and funding, education and population locally’.

Senator Gorst is fighting to keep his position after 14 backbench politicians signed a vote of no confidence in him.

St John Constable Chris Taylor, who has lodged the no-confidence motion, has been a vocal critic of the Chief Minister’s decision to reappoint Senator Ozouf as an Assistant Chief Minister as well as the fallout from the Jersey Innovation Fund and the withdrawal of hospital funding proposals.

Mr Taylor believes that St John Deputy Tracey Vallois would be a ‘fantastic alternative’ to lead the Island’s government.

However, Mr Moretta said that the digital sector needed the stability that Senators Gorst and Ozouf bring.

He said: ‘I think the worry for me is we need stability and we need consistency. I don’t think it looks especially good when we are navigating Brexit and we are building relationships with other countries to have something like this.

‘I believe the industry view is that we need stability and why would we change the team that has been so supportive of us in the middle of that?’

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