AN EX-FARMER who came within 50 votes of winning a seat in the States Assembly in 2022 has confirmed his intention to have a second tilt at being elected when the Island goes to the polls in June.
David Benn will be running again in the St Mary, St Ouen and St Peter district, where he ranked fifth in the last election, polling 1,053 votes – just behind Deputy Lyndon Farnham, who secured the fourth and final Assembly place by amassing 1,101.
Mr Benn, who was educated at Victoria College and Pershore College of Horticulture, said he had the same political ambition as when he launched his previous campaign.
“I am standing to ensure that we do not leave our children and grandchildren an impossible mountain of debt and problems,” he said. “Our government’s spending is too high, and the cost of living is spiralling out of control.
“Our economy needs invigorating, businesses and new start-ups need far less red tape, speedier planning decisions and support.
“We need longer-term economic vision and we must use our own workforce, training and retraining them to reduce costs and support businesses to increase revenue. – without an increase in growth of the economy, we cannot sustain a safe future.”
Having farmed in Jersey until 2001, Mr Benn spent 15 years in France where he created a building renovations coordination business.
He has held numerous roles with the Jersey Farmers Union, including chairing the potato committee and served as an honorary police officer in St Ouen and St John, while his current roles include board member of both the Société Jersiaise and the Jersey National Park, and volunteer with the Mustard Seed team making trips to deliver relief supplies to Romania.
Mr Benn said he was also seeking to put the environment “high on the list” in order to ensure the Island remained a safe place for children.
“We need a common-sense approach from people with experience and dedication to supporting our Island,” he concluded.
