PRESS RELEASE

Today the JDA  announced the launch of a “Fund for Justice”.

“We have received many calls and letters from supporters and others who are shocked by the punitive and disproportionate level of the penalties imposed by the Royal Court on the two JDA deputies, Shona Pitman and Geoff Southern for breaching the notorious Article 39A of the Elections Law,” said Christine Papworth, JDA chairperson.

“This law, which exists nowhere else in the world, prevents those who need help to apply for a postal vote from receiving such help from a candidate for election. We believe it is an attack on the democratic process, and a breach of the human rights to protection from discrimination and to participate fully in free and fair elections.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of those who have offered to help at this critical point in the development of our democracy and I invite those who wish to make a contribution towards meeting the £12,000 court fines and £10,000 legal costs.”

Donations should be sent to JDA Treasurer, 8 Winchester Street, St Helier. Cheques should be made payable to “JDA Fund for Justice”.

Further information: Christine Papworth: 07797 788603

Deputy Geoff Southern has found his position on the Population and Migration Scrutiny Sub-Panel untenable, after Senator Ferguson's failure to support the Strategic Plan amendments that he proposed, based on the Panel's work. The full text of his resignation is published below.

Geoff adds " I shall never work for this woman again." He also believes that "She sides with the establishment and cannot recognise any evidence that does not correspond with her political bias and bigotry. In fact she could not spot evidence if it jumped up and said 'boo'." His conclusion is that she should not be in charge of a scrutiny panel at all. However, while she is, he will not waste his time, nor tarnish his credibility, by working under her.

Resignation Letter

To: Senator Sarah Ferguson,

Chairman, Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel

It is with some regret that I feel obliged to resign forthwith from the Scrutiny sub-panel on Population & Migration chaired by you.

This follows your total absence of support for my amendments to the population and migration issues in the Strategic Plan debate. These amendments were crafted in response to the substantial evidence we had gathered during the course of our work on the scrutiny sub-panel. They were in total agreement with the key findings and recommendations contained in our report.

My understanding of the scrutiny process is that it is a team effort and that it is based on evidence. Our key findings and recommendations were not only the result of many hours of research, they were agreed only after much debate as shared and supported findings by the team of Deputies Wimberly, Vallois and Labey along with me, and you. Or so I believed.

At no stage was there any record of dissent on your part nor any indication that our conclusions did not have your full support. I believe therefore my amendments deserved your support. In refusing to endorse them I believe you have betrayed the efforts we have all put in to our report, and indeed the whole principle that underpins the scrutiny process.

I believe your behaviour over this issue is completely unprofessional. I therefore not only resign from your sub-panel, but inform you that I will not work under your chairmanship again.

Deputy G P Southern

Some hotter news than the local media have picked up on yet, with massive implications for Jersey's political future:

Whether you welcome or resent it, the finance industry has been the hand that has fed us for the last few decades. The inclusion of Jersey on the G20 whitelist gave hope that we could continue to benefit from it in the medium term.

However, on Thursday, Gordon Brown served notice on the Crown Dependencies that he was looking to them to lead the way in stamping out tax avoidance. There is little realistic chance that our local States could win a showdown with Westminster, so the days of the finance industry as we now know it are numbered, and up to a pretty small final figure, too.

So, the buzz words of the next year or to are going have to be "exit strategy" and "contingency plan".  Anyone who is not putting them at the top of their political priorities just isn't getting it.