A FORMER Children’s and Education Minister who stepped down from the States in 2022 has announced he will be standing for election having “watched the last four years with growing concern”.
Scott Wickenden, who is putting himself forward to serve as a Deputy for St Martin and Grouville, is also calling for the government to temporarily suspend fuel duty “to help Islanders and businesses deal with rising global costs”.
First elected to the Assembly in 2014, Mr Wickenden completed two terms as a representative for St Helier, but has since moved to St Martin.
His previous stint in the Assembly saw him spend a number of years within ministerial roles, including Assistant Chief Minister, Assistant Social Security Minister as well as Children’s and Education Minister.
Explaining his motivation for seeking a return to politics, Mr Wickenden said: “I have watched the last four years with growing concern.
“Jersey is not short of good people or good intentions, but it has been short of clear leadership and focus.
“Too much time has been lost to political infighting, complaints between States Members, public disputes and votes of no confidence.
“That is not what Islanders expect and it is certainly not what we deserve.”
He highlighted a number of issues that “have been getting worse”, such as the cost of living and pressure on public finances.
“I am not standing to be part of the noise. I am standing to bring focus back to what matters,” he said.
“I have seen how government works from the inside. I understand where it delivers and where it fails. And I know that without proper accountability, even good policy can fail in practice.”
Mr Wickenden is also calling for the government to “take a clear and immediate step to help Islanders and businesses deal with rising global costs” by temporarily suspending fuel duty.
The conflict in the Middle East has created massive disruption to the global energy market, pushing up prices for crude oil above $100 per barrel.
Mr Wickenden argued that suspending fuel duty “is not a radical idea, nor is it a permanent shift in policy”.
“It is a practical response to an external shock that is already feeding through into every part of our economy,” he continued.
“Jersey is uniquely exposed in situations like this. We import the vast majority of what we consume, which means we do not just experience inflation, we import it. And at present, that inflation is being driven by global fuel prices, rising shipping costs, and increased production expenses in the countries we rely on.
“By the time goods arrive in Jersey, they are already more expensive. But the price increases do not stop there. They are compounded by local transport costs, distribution, and taxation.”
He described this as effectively being “a second layer of inflation on top of what has already happened elsewhere”.
“We cannot control what happens globally. We cannot influence oil markets, shipping rates, or manufacturing costs abroad. But we can control what happens here,” Mr Wickenden added.
“Fuel duty is one of the few levers available to government that has a direct impact across the entire economy. It affects not just motorists, but the cost of getting goods to the Island, moving them around it, and ultimately the price paid by consumers.”
Islanders will head to the polls on Sunday 7 June.
