FORMER Treasury Minister Philip Ozouf is seeking a return to politics – four years after stepping down.
Mr Ozouf will seek one of the five Deputy seats on offer in his home parish of St Saviour. He was first elected as a Deputy in 1999 before topping the poll when he stood for Senator three years later. He has served as Treasury Minister, as well as an Assistant Chief Minister and as Economic Development Minister.
He said: ‘In the last four years, like many in our Island, although an optimist, I’ve become increasingly concerned and frustrated with a chronic lack of decision-making, overspending and a failure to deliver for the people of St Saviour and the Island. Jersey deserves better.
‘The parish and Island urgently need more accountable, competent, can-do representatives who will deliver on the issues that matter.
‘I want to bring my experience back to the States Assembly. In my long political career, I recognised that tough decisions have to be made and followed through. I have a record of getting things done, having broadened our tax base, secured financial stability and delivered full fibre to every home in Jersey something which I am very proud.’
Mr Ozouf’s father, also called Philip, is a former St Saviour Constable.
‘I have never forgotten my roots as the son of a farmer and and garage proprietor. My parents instilled in me the importance of hard-work, public service with common-sense.
‘This is one of the most important elections in a lifetime and I believe we need those who have experience to come forward,’ Mr Ozouf said.
He added that he wanted to work to address the cost of living crisis, to help deliver more housing and to ‘stop the delays and endless expensive designs on a hilltop hospital that looks folly’.
Mr Ozouf said: ‘I want to be a strong voice for St Saviour and bring back experience and insight to help address some of the biggest challenges and opportunities facing the Island. I will stand as an independent as experience shows parties are the solution for Jersey.’
He becomes the tenth candidates to declare for St Saviour, after the Jersey Alliance’s Mary O’Keeffe, the Jersey Liberal Conservatives’ Malcolm Ferey, the Progress Party’s Sophie Walton, Reform Jersey’s Raluca Kovacs, sitting Deputies Kevin Pamplin and Louise Doublet and independents Jonathan Channing, Tom Binet and Suzanne Webb.
