DEPUTY Kristina Moore looks set to become the Island’s first female Chief Minister after more than half of the new States Assembly signed her nomination paper.
Candidates are required to have a minimum of six signatories on their nomination form, but Deputy Moore has far exceeded that number with the backing of 30 Members.
However, Reform Jersey leader Deputy Sam Mézec is still in the race and said he hoped the Assembly would ‘remain open-minded’ when they selected a new Chief Minister next Tuesday.
And Deputy Moore said that she refused to take anything for granted, stating that ‘it is not over until it’s over’.
Earlier in the day, the Jersey Liberal Conservatives leader, Sir Philip Bailhache, confirmed that he had pulled out of the race having not been able to gather enough support to submit his nomination paper.
Deputy Moore had always been considered one of the favourites for the top job, but the momentum behind her campaign appeared to shift up a gear over the weekend, with a number of Members, both new and long-serving, publicly backing her bid.
She said: ‘It has gathered a certain amount of momentum over the last few days and I am humbled that I have got that level of support.
‘I have within my statement a plan for the first 100 days which identifies a number of priorities that ministers would be able to get started on including a mini-Budget to address the cost of living.’
Deputy Moore added that the new Assembly was ‘more diverse and inclusive’ than it ever had been before and that it would need to work together to deliver on priorities that all Members ‘heard about on the doorsteps’, citing housing, the cost of living and restoring trust and accountability as the main issues.
However, Deputy Mézec said that he remained hopeful that the new Assembly would ‘get behind’ Reform Jersey’s manifesto vision.
‘I am focusing on my campaign which is about presenting a vision for government based on social and economic justice,’ he said. ‘I will make that case and hope that independent Members will get behind it.
‘There are a number of new Members who are part of this wave of change that this election has swept in and I hope that Members will be open-minded and listen to both Members.’
He added that his Chief Minister bid was reflected in Reform Jersey’s manifesto and in his statement to Members added that the election pledges his party made represented a ‘comprehensive vision for government’.
Both candidates have strong claims to the top job following last week’s election in which Islanders delivered a damning verdict on the previous four years of government – which saw John Le Fondré become the first Chief Minister to lose his seat in the States.
Deputy Moore polled the most votes of any Deputy and had made her intention to stand for Chief Minister clear ahead of the election.
Meanwhile, the Reform Jersey leader saw his party make major gains on Wednesday night – doubling their contingent from five to ten Members following a string of strong performances in their St Helier heartland.
Reform Jersey’s election results mean that they now hold more than 20% of the seats in the new Assembly and will be a force over the next four years regardless of the outcome of the Chief Minister vote.
Deputy Ian Gorst is a former Chief Minister, but ruled himself out for the role while there had been speculation that Deputy Lyndon Farnham, who was elected in the same district as Deputy Moore and has served as Economic Development Minister for the past eight years, may throw his hat into the ring for the top job having flirted with the idea of going for it four years ago.
However, he, like Deputy Gorst, also confirmed his support for Deputy Moore.
The Assembly will meet on Tuesday 5 July to appoint a new Chief Minister before meeting again on Monday 11 July to determine the other ministerial positions and Scrutiny panel chairs.
For Deputy Sam Mézec:
Deputies Lyndsay Feltham, Geoff Southern, Catherine Curtis, Tom Coles, Beatriz Porée, Montfort Tadier, Raluca Kovacs, Robert Ward and Carina Alves.
For Deputy Kristina Moore: Constables Karen Shenton-Stone, Richard Vibert, Simon Crowcroft, David Johnson, Richard Honeycombe, Marcus Troy, Mark Labey and Andy Jehan, Deputies Steve Ahier, Barbara Ward, David Warr, Kirsten Morel, Lucy Stephenson, Helen Miles, Ian Gorst, Elaine Millar, Jonathan Renouf, Philip Ozouf, Hilary Jeune, Alex Curtis, Louise Doublet, Mary Le Hegarat, Tom Binet, Rosemary Binet, Karen Wilson, Carolyn Labey, Max Andrews, Inna Gardiner, Andy Howell and Lyndon Farnham.
