A small group of protesters gathered in the Royal Square on Tuesday lunchtime as the vote of no confidence debate got under way in the States.
The debate was brought to the House by Constable Chris Taylor, who claims Senator Gorst is failing to lead the Council of Ministers.
He says he has brought the motion for three main reasons:
* Concerns over the Jersey Innovation Fund, which handed out more than £2m in loans to start-ups – £1.4m of which may never be repaid.
* The repeated stalling of plans to fund the new hospital.
* The initial reappointment of Senator Philip Ozouf, who resigned as an Assistant Chief Minister following the Innovation Fund report. The Senator was dismissed just hours before today’s debate.
Opening the debate, Mr Taylor quoted Senator Gorst from a sitting in November 2014 when he said: ‘I believe we have a great future ahead but only if we work together.’
Mr Taylor continued: ‘Sadly, I think we have never had a more divided Assembly and never had a more divided Council of Ministers.’
But in a speech to the Assembly, Senator Gorst urged Members to unite behind him and allow him to continue his term of office.
He said: ‘The job I have been doing on behalf of this Assembly can be said to be the best of jobs and worst of jobs.
‘I ask Members when they get to the vote to ask themselves that question.
‘It should be, as much as I may find it difficult personally, about whether this Assembly wishes me to continue and complete this term of office and allow the electorate to pass judgment.
‘We live, sir, in the best of times and the worst of times, the best of days and the worst of days.
‘I don’t want too many more days like this. I want us to move from the worst of days and continue to deliver for the best of days.’
