Party politics to grow in popularity this term?

Party politics to grow in popularity this term?

In the second part of a week-long series looking at how the new States Assembly is faring 100 days after the General Election, Deputy Rob Ward has predicted growth for party politics in the current term.

Deputy Ward was elected to represent St Helier No 2 in May’s General Election as one of five Reform Jersey members to win a seat in the States Assembly.

He said: ‘Party politics will develop further. I believe over time the need for politicians to really work effectively together more and more will lead to parties and groupings. There’s still a lot of personalities in politics and we don’t want to lose that, but I think that policy and what people stand for is the way to attract people to politics in the first place.’

And although Deputy Ward believes the new States is still getting to grips with the idea of party politics, he says that there is an advantage for both electors and his fellow politicians knowing, without doubt, what he stands for.

‘It’s not a threat. It’s actually a positive thing,’ he said. ‘You know where we’re coming from.

‘There’s a coherent approach and I think we have really got across our message in that way, particularly with the new members. We’ve stuck to our guns and pushed for those issues.’

For the first time Reform Jersey has a member around the Council of Ministers’ table – Housing Minister Sam Mézec – and two of its other members, Deputies Montfort Tadier and Geoff Southern, are assistant
ministers.

Senator John Le Fondré also signed an agreement with the party prior to his election as Chief Minister in which he pledged to commit to a number of shared interests in exchange for their votes for the top job.

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