THOSE listening to the States this week could be forgiven for thinking Captain Mainwaring’s wife had entered the Assembly…
As Deputy Moz Scott was speaking during the debate on introducing a landlord licensing scheme, a female voice in the Chamber was clearly heard to comment ‘well no, you stupid woman’, in what appeared to be a slightly tweaked version of the Home Guard officer’s famous reproach of young Private Pike.
The Assembly was collectively halted in its tracks by this most unparliamentary exclamation, but after a few seconds of awkward pause, Deputy Scott bravely carried on.
Members in seats surrounding the Deputy looked astonished as they endeavoured to find the source of such apparent impertinence, which was picked up clearly on microphone.
The following day, the St Brelade representative sent an email to Members explaining what had happened.
She said: ‘Some of you were intrigued and concerned about an interruption during my speech yesterday.
‘Just to let you know, I received an explanation and apology from a Greffe officer this morning, who assured me the comment was not directed to me and was a self-rebuke.
‘I commend the individual for fessing up to the unintended double act and hope the self talk is kinder in future.’
Later in the debate on Tuesday, and unconnected to the irreverent comment, Deputy Geoff Southern had recounted the famous words of Private Frazer that ‘We’re all doomed’ to suggest that opponents to the licensing scheme were scaremongering.
