Charity worker Mary O’Keeffe is to represent the Jersey Alliance – a newly formed political party which has nine existing politicians among its membership, including Chief Minister John Le Fondré, Education Minister Scott Wickenden and Social Security Minister Judy Martin.
However, despite a significant number of sitting States Members now being signed up to one of the Island’s three political parties – Reform Jersey and the Progress Party being the other two – Ms O’Keeffe is the first to formally announce her intentions for June 2022.
Ms O’Keeffe was present at the party’s official launch in July, along with Assistant Treasury Minister Lindsay Ash, Assistant Chief Minister Rowland Huelin and Home Affairs Minister Gregory Guida.
She unsuccessfully stood to be a St Saviour Deputy in 2018, a St Helier Deputy in 2011, and as a Senator in a by-election in 2016. She has had board roles at Jersey Opera House, Jersey Cheshire Home and Crimestoppers Jersey.
Ms O’Keeffe said the launch of a new party was the ‘opportunity’ she was looking for to re-enter Island politics, adding: ‘I am already familiar with the world of Jersey politics and I knew that this would be a good fit for me’.
She said: ‘We want to be an open and communicative party and hope people will listen.’
On party politics, she said: ‘Being an independent candidate can be very lonely. You go door to door and set out your stall of propositions knowing that they would be almost impossible to achieve on your own.’
Ms O’Keefe said her party was ‘socially liberal but fiscally prudent’ and wanted to protect the parish system.
The Jersey Alliance was the third party to register – and second in the space of six months – ahead of next year’s June election. The Progress Party is made up of Senator Steve Pallett, Deputy Steve Luce and former Infrastructure Minister Eddie Noel – while Reform Jersey, which registered in 2014, has five current States Members – Senator Sam Mézec and Deputies Geoff Southern, Montfort Tadier, Rob Ward and Carina Alves.
Meanwhile, the Jersey Liberal Conservatives, led by former Bailiff and External Relations Minister Sir Philip Bailhache, has registered as a ‘political movement’ and may become a fully fledged political party if it receives enough support.
