New Year’s Eve is traditionally a time when we look forward positively to what might be in store. Tonight, for those who know (or perhaps can still remember) the words, we may sing about a “cup of kindness” shared between two old friends as they rekindle a long-held relationship.
Every election year is positioned as a turning point, a crossroads at which Jersey must make tough choices, a pivotal moment when only some are leading us down the correct path to health and happiness, and we must make our choices carefully! That is already happening for 2026, but if history is anything to go by, elections here are seldom the harbingers of any major change.
So, blending those two thoughts together, perhaps we should arrive a little bleary-eyed on the doorstep of the New Year, focussing – for this one day at least – on what we truly value about life in Jersey, and presumably, what we will therefore fight hardest to keep as the year gradually unfolds.
Of course, they are all personal choices, and specific opinions will be legion – you may choose the low levels of crime, the short commute, easy access to beaches, a (largely) unspoilt coastline, and the country lanes.
For some it will be the strong sense of community, the still active charitable and volunteering sectors, and the sense of being just one step removed from global affairs.
Conversely, within the island, you may value the fact that our decision-makers are easy to get hold of, you will bump into them as you go about your daily lives.
Perhaps for others, that sense of easy informality is what you really treasure – a place where it, should, be easy to get things done. One might even say entrepreneurial and self-confident.
There will be many others, and no doubt a few on the above list will be disputed, rejected and castigated in the months to come, and the obvious omissions mourned.
It doesn’t matter. The point is simply this. If 2026 is truly to be an important year in the long history of this proud island, and the word which begins this sentence is there for a reason – then we should at least go into it by being clear about what we like, and what we will fight hard for. Now is the time to think those thoughts.
And on that note, on behalf of everyone at All Island Media, may we wish you a happy, healthy and prosperous 2026, and thank you for supporting the Jersey Evening Post.
