‘Certainty of Tory win will be good for Jersey’

‘Certainty of Tory win will be good for Jersey’

The Tories secured a healthy majority under Boris Johnson’s leadership in Thursday’s poll which is expected to enable the Prime Minister to press ahead with his legislative programme to withdraw the UK from the EU and deliver his key election message of ‘getting Brexit done’.

External Relations Minister Ian Gorst congratulated Mr Johnson on his party’s victory and said that he ‘looked forward to building on the positive working relationship that we have established between the governments of Jersey and the UK’.

‘Mr Johnson has made a commitment to “Get Brexit Done” and it is very likely that we will see the Withdrawal Bill brought back before the new Parliament before the end of 2019,’ he said. ‘Our positive relationship is critical as the UK moves to the next stage of Brexit negotiations, and enters into discussions on the future economic partnership between the UK and the EU.

‘We need to ensure that Jersey’s interests continue to be well understood and properly taken into account, ensuring the best possible outcome for the Island, its residents and businesses.

‘For our part, the certainty that the UK will legally leave the EU by the end of January is good and certainly the UK economy and markets have responded positively to the Conservative majority government.’

The Senator added, however, that there would be a great deal of ‘difficult and technical’ work to do to see Brexit through after the legal departure and Jersey would need to continue to work closely with the UK on the matter.

‘We would have continued working with UK ministers whatever the result of the election had been and have existing relationships with members of all the parties,’ he said.

‘We are willing to work with whoever we need to and will now build on the existing relationships we have with Conservative ministers at an official level.’

Meanwhile, Chief Minister John Le Fondré has written to Mr Johnson to congratulate him on his success and to ‘advocate for an ongoing positive relationship’ between the UK and Jersey.

The letter says: ‘The Government of Jersey remains committed to working closely with you and your colleagues in government to ensure that the Island’s interests, as well as those of our fellow Crown Dependencies, are well understood and fully addressed by the UK government.

‘This includes Jersey’s engagement in both the final stages of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU and, crucially, into the negotiations over the future relationship that will follow.

‘I trust that the UK government will continue to recognise, and respect accordingly, the particular needs of our small Island which, nonetheless, continues to punch above its weight in global terms and as a valuable partner to the UK.’

Among the successful Conservative candidates in the general election was former BBC Jersey presenter Simon Jupp. Mr Jupp was elected as the new MP for East Devon – a seat which has been held by the Conservative Party for more than 150 years.

Mr Jupp was returned with a vote of 32,577 – a majority of 6,708.

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