REFORM Jersey have announced their third and final candidate in the St Helier South district.
Tom Coles, an operations manager at a security firm and union representative, will stand alongside party colleagues Senator Sam Mézec and market trader Beatriz Porée. There are four Deputy seats on offer in the constituency.
Independent candidates Deputy Judy Martin, Chris Hopkins and David Warr, who is a member of the Better Way coalition, have also announced they intend to stand in the district. Jersey Alliance’s Jo Luce and Jersey Liberal Conservatives candidate and former Deputy Angela Jeune will be competing for a seat as well.
Mr Coles previously stood for election in St Saviour in 2018 but was unsuccessful.
Discussing why he had decided to stand again, he said: ‘Watching the cost of living in Jersey spiral out of control, I have become increasingly concerned that we do not have the right people making the decisions to combat this crisis. I believe that the current government is not in touch with the majority of Islanders and cannot see the hardships that many working families are facing.
‘I want to help ensure that we all benefit from our transition to net-zero carbon emissions. So far, little more than lip service has been paid to this agenda. We must protect our green spaces and the sea around us. This is particularly important in St Helier, where many people live in small apartments without access to open space and clean air.
‘There is also much more the government could be doing to help transition away from harmful fossil fuels by incentivising the use of biofuels and investing in more renewable energy production. Reform Jersey will prioritise green initiatives for the benefit of our environment and our economy.’
The 40-year-old also addressed the housing crisis and said he was ‘staggered’ at the price of rents and would work with his Reform Jersey colleagues to tackle the sector’s issues.
Party leader Senator Mézec said: ‘I am really pleased that Tom Coles will be part of our team in St Helier South. We have worked closely together for the last four years in Reform Jersey, and he is extremely passionate about improving life for Islanders.
‘St Helier needs representatives who will stand up for them on these important issues on the cost of living. Tom’s dedication to this can be in no doubt.’
