Deputies Eddie Noel and Anne Pryke were returned unopposed
Deputies Roy Le Hérissier (left) and Bob Hill face contested elections
Apologies for the delay in this final part of this series in my blog; The past two weeks has proved even busier than expected!
The nominations have now taken place and we are now know who all the candidates are who will be contesting the 26 deputies, 4 Constables and 4 Senatorial Seats. One thing that is notable is that of the 11 uncontested seats, 10 can reasonably called Establishment and/or (Jersey) right-wing candidates. Only one - Constable Simon Crowcroft can be said to be part of the loose grouping of 'progressives'.
Meanwhile, all the seats currently held by (mildly) progressive deputies (and the other marginally less reactionary Constable of St Lawrence) are being contested. And they are being contested by official and unofficial candidates of the Black and White Party.
Thus 'old school progressives', in relatively safe seats, such as Deputies Le Hérissier (St Saviour No 3) and Bob Hill, are facing contested elections, whilst deep reactionary types like Deputies Anne Pryke (Trinity) and Eddie Noel (St Lawrence) are given a 'free ride'.
Thus 'old school progressives', in relatively safe seats, such as Deputies Le Hérissier (St Saviour No 3) and Bob Hill, are facing contested elections, whilst deep reactionary types like Deputies Anne Pryke (Trinity) and Eddie Noel (St Lawrence) are given a 'free ride'.
So what does this tell us? The Establishment are more organised. Their success does not rely on the popularity of their policies (just as well, as they do not have any explicit ones), rather their ability to mobilize and fool those who turn out to vote for them, whilst their unrepresentative power base and policy direction only serves to alienate would be progressive voters further, leading to huge abstentionism which permits the Establishment's to secure a sufficiently large 'minority' of votes, which under the flawed 'first past the post' system, is enough to get them elected.
They put candidates up in 'safe' seats held by progressives (i) because there is nothing to lose and (ii) to 'make them work'. It is time the progressives (or what passes for them) started to do the same.
