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By Ben Shenton AS we all know, most of us who live in Jersey could move to the UK if we wished. We don’t need any permissions or permits, don’t need to go through an interview process, and we never have UK politicians raising concern over our immigration rights. It is a right that many […]

By Ben Shenton FOR the past ten years, I have been a spokesperson for people working within the finance industry who did not want to speak out themselves. The opinion of many in that industry was that the regulator had a Victorian attitude to governance, which was stifling growth. They talked to me – confidentially, […]

By Ben Shenton WHEN cars first rattled onto the roads, the law demanded that a man walk in front waving a red flag – a human warning system against the terrifying prospect of a horseless carriage. It was absurd, but it reflected the scepticism of the age – horses, we were told, would never be […]

By Ben Shenton LAST week, I committed the ultimate Jersey sin: I published some public-sector salaries. Cue the outrage. “How dare he!” cried social media, even though everything I published is in the public domain if you know where to look. Apparently, transparency is now considered vulgar. But facts don’t care about feelings – and […]

By Ben Shenton AS I am a panellist on “Show Us the Money: Question Time Budget Special”, I thought I’d concentrate on the Budget, starting this week with expenditure. Next week we’ll talk income, but for now let’s look at where the money goes – and why official figures are about as trustworthy as a […]

By Ben Shenton WHEN I was 16, I dropped by my father’s office at the Harbour. He was both a Senator and a businessman – a combination that gave him a deep understanding of individual needs and the pulse of the business community. He ran the stevedoring company that loaded and unloaded cargo ships in […]

By Ben Shenton WHEN I was 16, I dropped by my father’s office at the Harbour. He was both a Senator and a businessman – a combination that gave him a deep understanding of individual needs and the pulse of the business community. He ran the stevedoring company that loaded and unloaded cargo ships in […]

By Ben Shenton I WAS going to write about how the States of Jersey is looking to hide debt through the de-consolidation of 100% owned subsidies, using questionable – but legal – accounting practices. However, while very important, it was too boring, so I decided to write imaginary sketches based on two of my favourite […]

By Ben Shenton FIRSTLY I must apologise if this article comes across as a little patronising, but I have been astounded by the sheer ignorance of some parties in respect of my concerns regarding the ‘raiding’ of our Social Security pension pot. The government’s 2026 Budget includes plans to take £50m a year for the […]

By Ben Shenton WE all pay our social security on the promise of a pension when we retire. The custodian and manager is the Government of Jersey, an unregulated body that does not publish the investment accounts or actuarial reports. In fact, getting any information out of them is like trying to get blood out […]