ELECTION 2011: A MIXTURE OF PLUSES & MINUSES

With apologies for the lack of posts during the past month I am quite sure all genuine readers will understand where my and other Progressives’ priorities had to be primarily focussed. Indeed, with my Scrutiny sub-panel also working throughout the period and keeping up my constituent work the reality that something just had to be sacrificed was only more pronounced.

Still, at least those of us outside of the Establishment Party fold in St. Helier No. 1 District didn’t quite have to contend with the new low in political smear campaigns achieved across in No. 2 District where Rod Bryans certainly showed the true nature of his ‘qualities’.  Not that he was alone.

But a little more on this – including the happy and long overdue political demise of that ‘whiter-than-white’ candidate Mr. Bryans’ was oddly most happy to have as his political running mate; ex-Senator Terry Le Main - in coming posts when I will look back at some of the election results in greater depth.. But in the meantime… Did you really lose that much money with ‘Honest’ Nev, Terry? To think - Jon had said that you were a shoe in…

A great big ‘Thank You’…

For now above all else let me just say a great big ‘Thank You!’ to all of those who came out to support me with your vote on October 19th. Shona has similarly asked me to pass on her own thanks via the site as well. With the Horsfall/Walker/Ozouf faction pulling out all the stops to knock out the Progressives your support is greatly appreciated; as have been all of the numerous e-mails, letters, phone calls etc since the result. Believe me – they all mean a great deal indeed. Thank you!

Yet as some have also said to me; in a perverse way perhaps that ‘thank you’ should even be extended to the lowlifes who apparently have so little in their sad existences that they put so much energy and hate into the desperate tactics to try and stop the likes of Shona and myself getting re-elected?

Even with the Assembly undoubtedly shifting slightly to the right - as a result no doubt of many people clearly not being wise to the con being spun with regard to which candidates were ‘independent’ of the Establishment – that the smear tactics against us backfired spectacularly cannot be denied. Better still, in three years time they may just come back to haunt some people. Yes, how very poetic…
 
Two politicians who really will be sadly missed…

But whilst I will look at the pluses and negatives of the election result in greater detail in forthcoming posts I still really do have to just comment briefly here on the loss of Deputies Debbie De Sousa and Bob Hill. 

Bob Hill has been a genuine and dedicated servant to transparency and doing what he believed to be right throughout five electoral terms. Some record by anyone’s standards. He will be a real loss to the democratic process – probably simply paying the price of being a free thinker within a somewhat conservative area in St. Martin.

One thing is for sure: Bob can hold his head up with pride. I wish him well in whatever he does next. They say you only really miss what you have had when it’s gone: could well be the people of St. Martin may well come to experience that reality for themselves before 2014.

Debbie De Sousa may have only been in the States for one term but she too can hold her head up having a record of hard work and sticking to her principles that is a real credit to her. She worked tirelessly for both her constituents in St. Helier No. 2 and played a full role in the States generally. Indeed, Debbie had probably come on more than any other of the new Members over the past seven or eight months. I also have to agree that I think she was badly let down by the Portuguese community for whom she had worked so particularly hard.

But devastated as she will be what Debbie really can hold on to is the fact that - should she wish to stand again in 2014 - I am certain that she can be re-elected in three years time. I have no doubt whatsoever that she can certainly oust Establishment lightweight Rod Bryans - who will now, of course, actually have to do some political hard work and come up with some policy – something starkly conspicuous by its absence in both his ‘manifesto’ and his lie-filled ramblings on his website. 

Of course, as the wider interests of the people of St. Helier are obviously the key underlying factor it is much more beneficial that in 2014 the likes of Bryans are sent packing. However, Debbie can also quite probably take the seat of my former JDA colleague Deputy Geoff Southern if push comes to shove.

Why do I say this? Well, sad as it makes me, if Geoff really thinks it is okay to go around telling people ‘one vote only’ so desperate was he to finish top (as so many people from Number 2 have told us he was doing in stark contrast to Shona and Debbie herself) and risk knocking out a hardworking fellow Progressive as a result then quite frankly its probably time he too sailed off into the political sunset.

Progressives need to focus on keeping out the real enemies of ordinary working people – not just think about looking after themselves. Yet strangely, there is actually a much better chance of this now happening following on from this election. But more about the need for the so-called Progressives to take a leaf out of the Establishment approach to sticking together in the near future.
 
The next post: Chief Minister and beyond – who is up for what…

With regards to who might be our next Chief Minister I suppose the one good thing you can say is that at least we already know that we have a choice. Sadly the caveat is that at present that choice is like being told you have to spend the next three years of your life shacking up with one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

We can only hope that Senator Alan Breckon does indeed throw his hat into the ring to provide real choice. Not just choice but an alternative to elitism; incompetence and the failed, greed-based policies of free-market fundamentalism that have taken us to the brink. So other than trying to re-assure a couple of posters that: yes – I really will do my utmost to get back to putting a new post up every week or two I think I will leave it there.

Well…apart from answering the following question as to my own future approach. 

Will I be bowing to pressure from our newly self-proclaimed ‘leader’ Senator-Elect Bailhache i.e. that apparently his eminence can insult or attack who he likes (just read the interview in the JEP again and spot the hypocrisy) but anyone who isn’t on the cocktail circuit is obviously an unruly peasant and must be fined and silenced if they should dare to question)?

Put it this way. As one older lady and her friend wanted to make quite clear to me when casting their votes at the polling station: ‘What we want from you Trevor is more of the same - only even louder! These tax dodgers need to understand this Island belongs to us ordinary people too! We’ve paid our way its time they did. We’re relying on you to make them listen.’
Ladies, I can only say I will do my very best to comply.

As for Jon. Sorry, I guess you’ll just have to console yourself with sending out childishly insulting posters and talking to yourself on the net. Still, if it keeps you from making any more sick; cowardly death threats to innocent people …

Keep the Faith.
Trevor