JERSEY has failed to prepare for the impact of a major international crisis and could face ‘dire consequences’ as a result, according to a former military expert.
Nigel Hall – who experienced major crises during his career with the British Army, NATO, and the United Nations – said the Island had several ‘chronic resilience vulnerabilities’ that needed tackling urgently.
The government has refuted the claims, saying that the matter of resilience was taken very seriously.
In a JEP column published today, Mr Hall said the most acute issues related to food supplies and energy, and had become particularly pronounced over the past 11 months, which saw Russia occupy parts of Ukraine.
He said: ‘Getting on for one year after Putin invaded Ukraine, and with food and energy security becoming common topics of conversation, the government of Jersey has yet to take any action that improves food and energy resilience.
‘There are quick and relatively cheap mitigation measures to address such risks – simply increase days of on-island food supplies and diversify energy sources.’
Describing the world as a ‘tinderbox’, with the potential for conflict in areas such as the Middle East, North Korea, and China and Taiwan, Mr Hall said he feared that a single trigger event could end up dwarfing the disruption to supply chains caused by the Covid pandemic.
The Jersey resident, who retired from the British Army at the rank of brigadier in 2007 and holds senior positions at the UK Defence Academy and King’s College London, said the Island’s government had a lack of understanding and relevant experience, with no resilience doctrine, policy, or register of acute and chronic vulnerabilities.
Mr Hall added that he felt senior figures in government, including chief executive Suzanne Wylie and Chief Minister Kristina Moore, did not appreciate the scale and importance of the problem.
He said: ‘If they [Mrs Wylie and Deputy Moore] did get it they personally would have chaired the right meetings, had discussions with all the key sector figures and a diverse range of experts these last two months. They have failed to grasp that Jersey’s resilience is more important than “day job” priorities – it should be an overarching Island-wide strategic priority.
‘I am not the only one worrying that Jersey… is missing the plot, in the context of unheeded warnings, and lack of preparation ahead of dire consequences for the population.’
In a statement approved by Deputy Moore, the government said that ‘Jersey’s resilience is a matter of our Island’s national security and details are not made public’.
The statement continued: ‘While we are grateful to Mr Hall for his input, he has not been party to the full resilience measures currently in place and policies that are constantly in development.
‘We will not be playing out issues of national security in newspaper columns. However, we do have the safety, security and welfare of Islanders at the forefront of our long-term planning. We take resilience very seriously and have a programme of work dedicated to it, including the development of a new civil contingencies law with a focus on resilience.’
In conclusion, the government stated: ‘Recent experience of Jersey’s response to the Haut du Mont explosion and the delivery of Covid vaccines, tests and PPE shows that working with our partners is effective and provides Jersey with a high level of resilience.’
