Bailhache: the ‘reformer’ again exposed as ‘wrecker’

Of all the many things that can be said about yesterday’s States vote to yet again hold back the tide of desperately needed political/constitutional reform in the Island surely the most crucial point to take on board above all else is this: not only did the manner by which democracy was thwarted see the States Assembly sink to an all time low but ‘Sir’ Philip Bailhache has now been exposed beyond argument as having free rein to abuse the system by whatever means he sees fit to maintain the Establishment Party’s grip on power.

Bailhache, of course, was carried into office by the likes of fawning Establishment organs such as the Jersey Evening Pravda on the back of farcical propaganda that he was the very champion of ‘reform’. That such claims were – as I and others from the progressive Left made clear at the time – utterly fake and in fact highly dangerous for Jersey’s democratic and socio-economic future – have now been proven 100% accurate. What after all it must be asked has the ‘Great Reformer’ Philip Bailhache reformed? The answer is, of course, absolutely nothing.

Indeed, Bailhache's track record on this could not be any more appalling if he tried. lets us not forget his very first move was to hijack and deliberately sabotage the reform referendum - wholly deliberately turning it into a loaded shambles which could only result in one outcome: failure.

In deeply disturbing contrast Bailhache is in truth a political reactionary of the very worst type – a draconian dinosaur in fact. A man absolutely desperate to preserve not only the ‘political stability’ that the Finance industry which has so captured our Island demands of its co-conspirators to guarantee its spiv culture of individual and corporate tax avoidance; but with it the two-tier society of an all-powerful Establishment minority totally immune to the democratic norms of the wider modern world.

And as yesterday shows, terrifying as it is, without outside pressure and ultimately intervention the conclusion must be that in this Bailhache is currently winning. At least until time takes its natural course and he and his aging band of power-obsessed neo-feudalists wither away and pass into an embarrassing history. Anyone who doubts this should simply consider the basic facts of yesterday’s debacle.

In what was so transparently nothing more than a blatant wrecking motion ‘Sir’ Philip Bailhache was allowed to bring an amendment to the Constable of St. Helier’s rehash of former Deputy Shona Pitman’s proposition to put an end to the role of Bailiff and replace this in the States with a democratically elected Speaker and President. Though sad in itself this amendment was, of course, not actually the real problem as I will explain.

It was the fact Bailhache was quite outrageously allowed to bring an amendment which if successful had clear and undeniable potential financial benefit to his own brother: Little ‘bruv’ William after all had already been named in an act of true arrogance and provocation by ‘Sir’ Michael Birt as his successor to the role in advance of the debate.

This is a blatant abuse and manipulation of the intent and spirit of Standing Orders and any claim to the contrary is simply untenable even with the most liberal interpretation of Standing Orders imaginable. Indeed, that ‘Sir’ Philip Bailhache was himself then even allowed to participate in the debate of such an amendment demonstrates just how utterly corrupt and craven the whole system is.

Yet where were the champions of democracy themselves – the voices of the progressive Left – in raising all of this to public attention? From what I heard – and I acknowledge I didn’t listen to the whole debate so depressing was the quality of much that was said within speeches – it appeared they just let the blatant abuse of process pass unchallenged. My word - but not a single one of the Left appeared to stand up to challenge the absolute joke of a claim that the judiciary in the form of the Bailiff could influence or interfere with the democratic process! 

Has no one from the new political party noticed that the Bailiff completely controls what an elected Member can say, what questions he or she may ask and what propositions may be lodged in support of those who elected them? If I missed this then I apologise but regardless it is something surely for the newly announced political party Reform Jersey at least to get to grips with fast if they are to live up to their name as I truly hope they can do.

Who needs a future it might be stated when ‘Sir’ Philip Bailhache can give us a whole new past?  As for me…depressing as the Bailiff debate and abuse of process was I took solace in the fact that I have a project likely to make a far bigger impact on the democratic deficit here in Jersey on course for the early autumn…

Keep the Faith