Former Senator sought Messina Group advice over anti-Reform campaign

A FORMER Senator was behind a campaign urging St Helier constituents to vote tactically for non-Reform Jersey candidates over concerns about the future of Millennium Park – and received advice from a Messina Group strategist, the JEP has learned.

Terry Le Main – who confirmed to the JEP that he had spoken on the phone to a senior strategist from the US strategy firm brought to the Island by Value Jersey – said that he personally funded an anti-“mega-school” leaflet and poster campaign last week after becoming concerned that a proposed new primary school could be built on the land long earmarked for the town park’s extension.

The material, which recommends support for a number of named candidates standing in St Helier South and St Helier Central, has generated significant debate in the final days of the election campaign – largely due to the lack of named endorser.

READ THE FULL INVESTIGATION

Terry Le Main, the “mega-school” and the Messina Group

After mysterious leaflets urging Islanders not to vote Reform in order to “stop the mega-school” appeared in St Helier, the JEP set out to discover who was behind them. Deputy Editor Fiona Potigny followed the trail to a former Senator, a Messina Group strategist and a wider row over political influence operating outside the spotlight…

by Fiona Potigny 3 June 20263 June 2026

The Code of Conduct for election candidates and their supporters states that campaign material should carry clear imprints identifying who is responsible for its production.

While a JEP investigation was able to verify that the materials were commissioned by Messina’s deputy director of international campaigns Justin Lines, Mr Le Main insisted the campaign was entirely his own initiative and said he had personally funded both the printing and distribution.

The former Senator and Housing Minister was happy to confirm his involvement and said his intervention stemmed from decades of involvement in the Millennium Park campaign and concerns raised with him by residents.

“As you know, I represented St Helier No 2 Electoral District for very many years and I was and still am a prominent supporter for the proposed Millennium Park,” he said.

Mr Le Main pointed to a previous petition attracting more than 17,000 signatures and recalled that States Members overwhelmingly backed plans to preserve the area as public open space in the late 1990s.

He argued that increasing residential development in St Helier had only strengthened the case for protecting the site.

After hearing concerns that Reform Jersey’s support for a new school could jeopardise the park extension – despite the party’s previous support for the initiative in 2021 – he said he felt compelled to act.

Following questions from the JEP, Mr Le Main acknowledged that he had spoken to Mr Lines on the phone following the advice of an unnamed St Helier candidate.

Mr Lines’ employer, the Messina Group, has been advising Value Jersey – but the political movement said “categorically” that it was not involved in the “mega-school” campaign. Mr Lines did not respond when asked by the JEP how many clients The Messina Group was working for locally, beyond Value Jersey.

It comes amid growing scrutiny of campaign expenditure and political movements, with the Jersey Electoral Authority recently issuing guidance on third-party spending and election material.

Mr Le Main said that if his expenditure exceeded any applicable declaration threshold it would be declared “in the appropriate and transparent manner after the election”.

The JEP approached the JEA for comment on Sunday and is awaiting a response.

Reform Jersey leader Sam Mézec said he had reported the posters to the police, who informed him they would make enquiries with the Jersey Electoral Authority.