DEPUTY Lyndon Farnham has been elected Jersey’s new Chief Minister.
After each candidate gave a speech of up to ten minutes and faced up to an hour of questions, Reform Jersey leader Deputy Sam Mézec dropped out of the race following the first round of voting after securing just ten votes. Deputy Gorst received 21 and Deputy Farnham received 17. Deputy Karen Wilson abstained.
But in the second round, Deputy Farnham received 27 votes after getting the backing of Reform Jersey, with Deputy Gorst polling 22.
In his vision statement, Deputy Farnham said: “My vision for Jersey is for an island that provides a high-quality and a more affordable way of life for all residents.
“To create a thriving and sustainable community that embraces its unique natural beauty, rich heritage and vibrant culture, while also being a sought-after destination for visitors from around the world.
“In this vision, Jersey will be a place where innovation and entrepreneurship flourish, creating opportunities for economic growth and prosperity.
“We have lost our way. Government is too cumbersome; it tries to do too much and achieves little. We must slim down. We must identify major problems and solve them one by one.”
Speaking to the JEP after the vote, Deputy Farnham said he had not yet decided his preferred choices for the Council of Ministers.
He did, however, reveal that he would be nominating Deputy Tom Binet – who has been overseeing the current plans for new health facilities – for Health Minister.
Deputy Farnham said: “It makes sense to put the hospital – now we are quite advanced with the plans – and health together. It has been problematic when we have seen a Health Minister and the politician responsible for building the hospital not having their thoughts aligned. We have got to put all of that behind us and move forward, so that is one of the nominations that I will be making to the Assembly on Tuesday.
“I have been impressed with the work that Deputy Binet has done and it makes sense not to stall it and to let him carry on. The important thing though is that we get through it and we bring [the hospital project] to the Assembly for approval – it is the Assembly that will make the decision.”
Commenting on whether he had preferred choices for any other ministerial positions, he said: “Not just yet – we need to let the dust settle, sit down around the table and talk it through.”
