From the Summit of the Moral High Ground

For a place like Jersey , the weakness of independent politics is not just fragmentation — it is vulnerability. An isolated States Member can be pressured, managed, delayed, exhausted or quietly neutralised by an entrenched civil service far more easily than a disciplined political party can. Political parties are not merely electoral machines. They are structures of accountability and collective resistance. A lone deputy who challenges the bureaucracy risks being isolated: denied influence, excluded from informal networks, overwhelmed with procedure, outmanoeuvred by institutional continuity, or gradually absorbed into the administrative culture they were elected to scrutinise. But a party changes the balance entirely. A party gives elected representatives: shared policy, shared research, collective discipline, institutional memory, and political consequences for betrayal or drift. Most importantly, parties create loyalty to voters and principles rather than dependenc...

Sir Phillip Bailhache and Ian Gorst I like Ian Gorst, he is a most amiable person. I must admit that it has come as a shock to see him elected as Chief Minister. I even had to re-write the blog post! Fundamentally neither candidate met my primary criteria - a basic understanding of economics. Nick Palmer on his blog expresses similar concerns. I'm afraid that, like it or not, the economic reality is going to come home and it is going to hit hard. For far too long the entire Western world has been spending beyond its means, driven by the demands of the electorate to provide ever more extravagant public services coupled with the natural and inevitable inefficiency of bureaucracy. Jersey is perhaps the worst culprit for this, but we have had unusually high revenues which have masked the problem until now. Sir Phillip was right about one point which you may have missed during the hustings - he accurately pointed out that the inability of the Chief Minister to appoint his '...

Historical Archive This article is preserved as part of the historical record of this blog. It reflects the author's views at the time of publication. The content has not been substantively altered, although the HTML, accessibility and formatting have been updated to meet modern web standards. We were told Jersey would be saved from economic catastrophe if the government straightened the Avenue. The first stimulus worked, apparently, and all we needed to bring back prosperity was more government stimulus. Stimulus might appear to work for some people for a short time. For a while they could pretend to be engaged in productive activities that would help the economy. Employment might temporarily rise, but these were not long-term jobs, the capital spent did not remain in Jersey, nor did the wages of those employed. The government is a terrible venture capitalist. "Biggest targeted improvement in taxation for families with young children the island has ever had...

Historical Archive This article is preserved as part of the historical record of this blog. It reflects the author's views at the time of publication. The content has not been substantively altered, although the HTML, accessibility and formatting have been updated to meet modern web standards. At the Trinity Senatorial Hustings the Vice Dean, Rev. Houghton, was kind enough to ask a question. I felt it appropriate to answer using the Bible as the basis for my reply. There was an audible intake of breath from the parishioners, as if I had committed some great trespass. I was never afraid to question authority, however. The philosophy of the "divine right" died out in the seventeenth century; no one is born to it. I adopt an approach to people of, "you have to earn my respect". Speaking to Rev. Houghton at the end of the hustings, I must say that indeed he did. The development of my personal morality has undergone several distinct stages; first I was t...

Historical Archive This article is preserved as part of the historical record of this blog. It reflects the author's views at the time of publication. The content has not been substantively altered, although the HTML, accessibility and formatting have been updated to meet modern web standards. In the second follow-up to my article on Spartan constitutions, I want to look at what lessons can be learnt from modern Greece. From a free-market perspective, I argued that no bank should have been bailed out during the 2008 financial crisis. Businesses take risks, and bankruptcy is one possible consequence of poor decisions. People would undoubtedly have suffered immediate losses, but those losses would have been recognised and the recovery process begun. Instead, three years later, many people had still lost savings, pensions had declined, homes had been repossessed, and the same banks remained at risk of failure while threatening entire nations. Bankruptcy is part of th...

Historical Archive This article is preserved as part of the historical record of this blog. It reflects the author's views at the time of publication. The content has not been substantively altered, although the HTML, accessibility and formatting have been updated to meet modern web standards. As part of my election campaign I conducted a sample survey on three issues. Three questions were asked as part of the 2011 election campaign. This first example question shows how opinions would be surveyed on each States proposition. A link to the full proposition would be provided together with a summary of what the proposition sought to achieve. Proposition One Senator Le Gresley requests an increase to the cold weather payment in light of the increase in GST. Summary: The proposition sought to provide an additional cold weather allowance to people who did not qualify for income support following the increase in GST from 3% to 5%. I personally supported the propos...

Historical Archive This article is preserved as part of the historical record of this blog. It reflects the author's views at the time of publication. The content has not been substantively altered, although the HTML, accessibility and formatting have been updated to meet modern web standards. In a recent blog, I looked at the effect of Spartan-style constitutions and the inevitable failures which arise when circumstances change but the constitution and government cannot adapt to the new reality. This has obvious parallels to what is happening in the Western world, but instead I will look at a constitution which is further along the road, has passed its crisis and begun to rebuild: Russia. The economy of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was based upon state ownership of the means of production, collective farming, industrial manufacturing and centralised administrative planning. The economy was characterised by state control of investment, public...

Historical Archive This article is preserved as part of the historical record of this blog. It reflects the author's views at the time of publication. The content has not been substantively altered, although the HTML, accessibility and formatting have been updated to meet modern web standards. The US and UK are poised to invade yet another country. Looking back to Nazi Germany and the support that the government had for invading neighbouring countries, you have to wonder whether the rhetoric and propaganda used to sway the German people was similar to that now being deployed to justify what would be a war of aggression. Reading the Daily Mail's pronouncements as to why such a move is necessary, you get the feeling that the decision has already been made. However, we managed to co-exist peacefully with the Soviet Union for decades, despite its much larger nuclear arsenal. In the United States, Barack Obama still had an election promise to fulfil by bringing t...

Historical Archive This article is preserved as part of the historical record of this blog. It reflects the author's views at the time of publication. The content has not been substantively altered, although the HTML, accessibility and formatting have been updated to meet modern web standards. The two great city states of Ancient Greece embody a philosophical battle which is waged in all modern constitutions: the battle between state control and personal freedom. For a brief period these two city states were the superpowers of the world. Today Sparta is a rural village which is home to goat herds and little else, whilst Athens, birthplace of much of what we consider to be civilisation, still flourishes. The battle between these two constitutional philosophies is the libertarian/authoritarian political cleavage, one of the divisions which exists in every society: the individual against the state. Like Sparta, states which are overly restrictive of individual freedo...

Historical Archive This article is preserved as part of the historical record of this blog. It reflects the author's views at the time of publication. The content has not been substantively altered, although the HTML, accessibility and formatting have been updated to meet modern web standards. 1.1(k) The effect of category 1.1(k) is to provide a market and an underpinning of prices for high-value properties. By effectively ensuring a £1,000,000 price tag for the largest properties, the top of the housing market is established. 1.1(h) By reducing the qualification period for category 1.1(h) of the Housing Regulations, the Government can artificially stimulate additional demand for mid-range properties. Conversely, by increasing the qualification period, it can artificially reduce demand. Conveyancing By gr...

Historical Archive This article is preserved as part of the historical record of this blog. It reflects the author's views at the time of publication. The content has not been substantively altered, although the HTML, accessibility and formatting have been updated to meet modern web standards. Introduction In order to ensure a satisfactory standard of living, it is essential that an average family can afford to purchase an average family home. The Affordability Gap At the time of writing, typical lending criteria used by banks were: Maximum lending of five times the annual salary of the main earner. Plus one additional annual salary from a second income. With an average annual salary of approximately £32,448, the maximum borrowing available to an average household was around £195,000. ...

Historical Archive This article is preserved as part of the historical record of this blog. It reflects the author's views at the time of publication. The content has not been substantively altered, although the HTML, accessibility and formatting have been updated to meet modern web standards. Does the role of the Jersey Evening Post in Jersey prevent free and fair elections? I have previously examined the legal basis for defining a public authority . The Jersey Evening Post may be considered a functional public authority as a result of the following laws: the Jersey Gazette Act 1960 and the Official Publications (Jersey) Law 1960 . These laws enforce the public declaration of certain information in the Jersey Gazette and define the publication in which these pronouncements must be made as the Jersey Evening Post . In a previous post I looked at the concerns raised about the JEP by Senator Cohen and the effect of the media ...

Historical Archive This article is preserved as part of the historical record of this blog. It reflects the author's views at the time of publication. The content has not been substantively altered, although the HTML, accessibility and formatting have been updated to meet modern web standards. Dr Ron Paul, GOP Candidate for Presidential Nomination 2012 Ron Paul is the standard bearer of the modern Libertarian movement who advocates small government, low taxes and civil liberty or, as it is more accurately described, freedom from government. Ron Paul started life as an obstetrician and gynaecologist and practised what he preached; his practice would not participate in any federal health programmes, which meant that they saw all Medicare and Medicaid patients free of charge, and they were treated just like all of the other patients, but they were not charged and the practice did not accept federal funds. "Some of the p...

Historical Archive This article is preserved as part of the historical record of this blog. It reflects the author's views at the time of publication. The content has not been substantively altered, although the HTML, accessibility and formatting have been updated to meet modern web standards. Freddie Cohen finished sixth in the 2011 Jersey Senator Election Freddie Cohen at the end of the last election criticised the biased coverage of the election by the Jersey Evening Post , joining a long list of political figures in Jersey to have done so, for example Guy de Faye three years earlier. The allegation has been made, by a source I will not disclose, that the Jersey Evening Post likes to see one "establishment" candidate ousted each election to perpetuate the illusion of change for the people of Jersey, whilst power remains firmly in the hands of the same interests. Indeed, when I volunteered for the National Tru...

Historical Archive This article is preserved as part of the historical record of this blog. It reflects the author's views at the time of publication. The content has not been substantively altered, although the HTML, accessibility and formatting have been updated to meet modern web standards. Jurats led by Jurat Le Breton, Liberation Day 2008 Extract from: Jersey Courts – Jurats Italics indicate editorial additions. Jurats are elected to serve in the Royal Court and to decide questions of fact in court cases. They sit next to the judge and not only decide the facts in both civil and criminal trials; they also award damages and fines as well as determine sentences. The work of the Jurats is unpaid (although they receive substantial "expenses" and benefits such as free parking in Vine Street) and they are appointed by the Electoral College, consisting of the Bailiff, Jurats, the Connétables of the twelve parish...

In their election manifesto, published on www.centreparty.com , the party stated that it would fight against the introduction of both a sales tax and the "20 means 20" package to phase out tax allowances. Both Senator Paul Le Claire and Kevin Lewis were Senatorial candidates in the 2005 election, and Darius Pearce announced that he would be standing under the party's banner as a Deputy candidate for St Helier No. 3. The party also stated that it wanted more candidates to contest as many seats as possible. Its manifesto covered policies on responsible immigration, fair taxation, community safety, housing policy, environmental development and legal reform. It stated: " A political party is accountable to its members and the voters. " " It can provide the expertise necessary to scrutinise the executive arm of the government. " " It will provide the continuity needed to carry through all the policies to which the voters a...