Reform Jersey
{{Short description|Social-democratic political party in Jersey}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2015}}
{{Use British English |date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox political party
| name = Reform Jersey
| logo = Reform Jersey logo.png
| logo_size = 219
| colorcode = #00537d
| leader =
| leader1_title = Leader
| leader1_name = Sam Mézec
| leader2_title = Deputy Leader
| leader2_name = Lyndsay Feltham{{cite news |last1=Frost |first1=Kelly |title="She will continue to help drive us forward as a government-in-waiting" |url=https://www.bailiwickexpress.com/jsy/news/reform-jersey-appoints-first-deputy-leader/ |access-date=18 November 2023 |work=Bailiwick Express |date=17 November 2023 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231118115808/https://www.bailiwickexpress.com/jsy/news/reform-jersey-appoints-first-deputy-leader/ |archive-date=18 November 2023}}
| leader3_title = Chairperson
| leader3_name = Helen Evans
| leader4_title = Secretary
| leader4_name = Anne Southern
| leader5_title = Treasurer
| leader5_name = Mericia Andrade
| founded = {{start date and age|2012|df=y|p=y}}
| registered = {{start date and age|2014|07|4|df=y|p=y}}
| ideology = Social democracy{{cite journal |last1=Pich |first1=Christopher |last2=Reardon |first2=John |date=November 2023 |title=A changing political landscape: The 2022 General Election in Jersey |url=https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/bitstream/123456789/115165/1/SST6%282%29A5.pdf |journal=Small States & Territories |volume=6 |issue=2 |pages=169–184 |doi= |via= |url-access= |access-date=21 November 2023 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231121185950/https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/bitstream/123456789/115165/1/SST6%282%29A5.pdf |archive-date=21 November 2023 |quote=Reform Jersey identifies very clearly as a centre-left social democratic party with close links to the island’s small trade union movement.}} Progressivism Environmentalism
| position = Centre-left
| colours = {{color box|#00537d|border=darkgray}} Blue {{color box|#d72e27|border=darkgray}} Red
| seats1_title = States Assembly
| seats1 = {{Composition bar|10|49|hex=#01547C}}
| website = {{url|https://www.reformjersey.je/}}
| country = Jersey
}}
Reform Jersey is a centre-left social-democratic political party in Jersey. In all general elections since 2014, Reform has won the most seats of any party in the States Assembly. However, it has not won a majority of seats in any general election due to the large number of independents in the Assembly.
Reform was initially founded as a pressure group in 2012 to campaign for electoral reform in the run up to the 2013 electoral reform referendum. It first stood candidates for election in the 2014 by-elections, where it won two seats. It officially registered as a political party in July 2014 to compete in the 2014 general election. Reform has gained seats in every subsequent general election, but has never won a majority. It was initially a junior coalition partner in the Le Fondré government, but left the coalition in November 2020 to support a vote of no confidence against it.
In January 2024, Reform returned to government following a vote of no confidence in Kristina Moore as a coalition partner in the Farnham government. As of February 2024, Reform has ten seats in the States Assembly. Sam Mézec has been the leader of Reform Jersey since its foundation.
History
File:Sam Mézec at 2024 CM Hustings.png has been the leader of Reform since its foundation.]]
= Formation =
Reform Jersey was founded in 2012 as a pressure group by Montfort Tadier and Sam Mézec.{{cite web |url=http://sammezec.blogspot.co.uk/p/reform-jersey.html |title=The Blog of Deputy Sam Mézec: Reform Jersey |publisher=Sammezec.blogspot.co.uk |access-date=2014-07-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140723183028/http://sammezec.blogspot.co.uk/p/reform-jersey.html |archive-date=23 July 2014 |url-status=dead}} On 24 April 2014, Deputies Mézec and Le Cornu announced that it would become a party to contest the 2014 general election scheduled for October.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey-27157685 |title=BBC News - Deputies line up Jersey's only political party |publisher=Bbc.co.uk |date=2014-04-25 |access-date=2014-07-18}} It was legally registered as a political party at the Royal Court on 4 July 2014.{{cite web|author=Tom Gruchy |url=http://tomgruchy.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/reform-jersey-first-political-party.html |title=Tom Gruchy: "Reform Jersey" - first political party since 1204 registered on 4 July 2014 in the Royal Court - (Samedi Division on a Friday) |publisher=Tomgruchy.blogspot.co.uk |date=2014-07-04 |access-date=2014-07-18}}{{cite news|url=http://www.channelonline.tv/channelonline_jerseynews/displayarticle.asp?id=511781 |title=Campaign group becomes political party - Jersey News from ITV Channel Television |publisher=channelonline.tv |access-date=2014-07-18}} Reform Jersey founding member Deputy Nick Le Cornu was expelled from the party in September 2014 for posting an offensive Tweet about another politician.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey-29083439 |title=Jersey deputy's 'sexist Twitter comments unacceptable' |publisher=BBC News |access-date=2016-04-10|date=6 September 2014}}
= Candidates =
For the 2014 general election on 15 October 2014, Reform Jersey put up eight candidates. Deputies Sam Mézec, Montfort Tadier and Geoff Southern were re-elected but none of the new Reform candidates were successful.{{cite web|url=http://www.vote.je |title=– States of Jersey Elections |website=Vote.je |date=2015-09-09 |access-date=2016-04-10}}
In the 2018 general election on 16 May 2018, the party returned four deputies (including new Deputies Robert Ward and Carina Alves), with Mézec gaining a senatorial seat.{{cite web|url=https://jerseyeveningpost.com/news/2018/05/17/mzec--and-reform--ride-the-rollercoaster-to-a-senatorial-seat/|title=Mézec – and Reform – ride the rollercoaster to a Senatorial seat|website=jerseyeveningpost.com}} On the 3rd of July 2018, Mézec was appointed first Minister of Children and Housing.{{Cite web|last=Jersey|first=States of|title=Government of Jersey|url=http://www.gov.je:80/News/2018/pages/senatorsamm%C3%A9zecappointedasfirstministerforchildrenandhousing.aspx|access-date=2021-06-26|website=gov.je|language=en}} After nearly only two and half years in the role, on the 8th of November 2020 Mézec resigned from his role as the Minister of Children and Housing in support of a vote of no confidence against the Chief Minister,{{Cite web|title=Mézec Resigns As Minister To Back Vote Of No Confidence|url=https://www.channel103.com/news/jersey/mezec-resigns-as-minister-to-back-vote-of-no-confidence/|access-date=2021-06-26|website=Channel 103|language=en}} and subsequently the party organised into a parliamentary 'Opposition' block and allocated their members policy portfolios.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bailiwickexpress.com/jsy/news/reform-jersey-opposition/#.YRUkHI5KiUk|title = Reform Jersey assume role of official 'Opposition'}}
In the 2022 general election the party won 10 seats, doubling the seat count of its prior highest electoral performance and becoming the largest political party in the States Assembly.{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey-61908620 | title=Jersey Election 2022: Politicians react to poll results | work=BBC News | date=23 June 2022 }}{{cite web | url=https://jerseyeveningpost.com/news/2022/06/23/election-shockwaves-as-islanders-call-for-change/ | title=Election shockwaves as Islanders call for change | date=23 June 2022 }}
Ideology and platform
{{Image frame|width=320|content=320px
|caption=Reform is a supporter of trade unions.|align=right}}
The party states its support for a living wage, progressive taxation, 26 weeks' statutory maternity leave, construction of affordable housing, and democratic reform of the States of Jersey{{cite web|url=http://www.reformjersey.je/#!home/c1tee|title=Reform Jersey : A Political Party for Jersey|website=Reformjersey.je|access-date=2016-04-10}} and the parish system.{{cite web |url= http://sammezec.blogspot.com/2018/08/the-parish-system-what-democracy.html |title=The Blog of Senator Sam Mézec: The Parish System - What Democracy? |website=sammezec.blogspot.com |date=August 2018 |access-date=2018-08-04}} Their 2018 campaign, included the message, ‘improving the standard of living’.
Reform Jersey supported and campaigned for the legalisation of same-sex marriage{{cite web |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey-27607041 |title=BBC News - Gay marriage proposition lodged by Reform Jersey |publisher=Bbc.co.uk |date=2014-05-28 |access-date=2014-07-18}} and organised a rally in support of equal marriage on 12 July 2014,{{cite news|url=http://www.channelonline.tv/channelonline_jerseynews/displayarticle.asp?id=511904 |title=Pressure on States to allow same-sex marriage - Jersey News from ITV Channel Television |publisher=channelonline.tv |access-date=2014-07-18}}{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey-28266102 |title=BBC News - Jersey meeting over equal marriage study |publisher=Bbc.co.uk |date=2014-07-11 |access-date=2014-07-18}} prior to the legalisation of same-sex marriage in Jersey on 1 July 2018.
The party's 2018 election manifesto, Working For A Fairer Island,{{cite web|url=https://www.reformjersey.je/manifesto|title=Manifesto 2018 - Reform Jersey website |website=reformjersey.je |date=2018-08-04}} promised tax reform, grants to cover the cost of university tuition fees, a rent freeze on the social housing sector, an empty property tax, and electoral reform of the States of Jersey to introduce one type of States member elected in equal-size constituencies. It also expressed support for a universal healthcare system, free at the point of use, and promised to reduce the cost of GP visits. The manifesto also supported the conservation of Jèrriais.
The party supports environmental activism. On 30 April, 2019, party chairman Mézec addressed a rally of local Extinction Rebellion activists in the Royal Square.{{cite web |url= https://www.facebook.com/ReformJersey/videos/329055124473338/|title= Senator Sam Mézec speaks at the climate change rally in the Royal Square - Reform Jersey on Facebook |website=www.facebook.com |access-date=2019-04-30}} On 2 May 2019, during a debate in the States Assembly, Deputy Montfort Tadier called for “ecological socialism”{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/statesassembly/status/1123881085665009664|title=.@StatesAssembly on Twitter|date=2019-05-02|website=@statesassembly|language=en|access-date=2019-05-04}} in response to anthropogenic climate change.
Reform Jersey’s “New Deal for Jersey”, first published on 1 June 2020 and inspired by both the New Deal of Franklin D. Roosevelt and contemporary proposals for a Green New Deal, calls for free access to primary healthcare, extended rent freezes, reduction of the qualifying period for unfair dismissal, and continuing income support and debt write-offs for low-income islanders.{{Cite web|url= https://reformjersey.je/content/newdeal4jersey.pdf|title=The 'New Deal' for Jersey|date=2020-06-01|website=www.reformjersey.je|language=en|access-date=2020-06-03}}
Electoral performance
| class="sortable wikitable" style="text-align:center" |
| + States Assembly |
| rowspan=2|Election
! rowspan=2|Leader ! colspan=2|Votes ! colspan=3|Seats ! rowspan=2|Position ! rowspan=2|Government |
|---|
| No.
! Share ! No. ! ± ! Share |
| 2014
|rowspan="3"|{{sortname|Sam|Mézec}} |style="text-align:right;"|7,910 |style="text-align:right;"|4.4 |style="text-align:center;"|{{Infobox political party/seats|3|49|{{party color|Reform Jersey}}}} |{{steady}} |style="text-align:right;"|6.1 |{{steady}} 1st |{{no2|Independent}} |
| 2018
|style="text-align:right;"|19,984 |style="text-align:right;"|10.3 |style="text-align:center;"|{{Infobox political party/seats|5|49|{{party color|Reform Jersey}}}} |{{increase}} 2 |style="text-align:right;"|10.2 |{{steady}} 1st |{{yes2|Independent–Reform Jersey}} |
| 2022
|style="text-align:right;"|12,751 |style="text-align:right;"|12.3 |style="text-align:center;"|{{Infobox political party/seats|10|49|{{party color|Reform Jersey}}}} |{{increase}} 5 |style="text-align:right;"|20.4 |{{steady}} 1st |{{no2|Independent–Better Way–JLC}} |
Current members of the States Assembly
Ten Reform Jersey members were elected to the States Assembly in the 2022 general election, all to the position of deputy. Of these ten, five were incumbents and five were newly elected.
| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ ! colspan=2|Member ! Constituency ! First elected ! Notes |
| style="background-color: {{party color|Reform Jersey}}"|
| St Helier Central | 2018 | Assistant Chief Minister and Assistant Minister for Education |
| style="background-color: {{party color|Reform Jersey}}"|
| St Helier South | 2022 | |
| style="background-color: {{party color|Reform Jersey}}"|
| St Helier Central | 2022 | |
| style="background-color: {{party color|Reform Jersey}}"|
| St Helier Central | 2022 | Deputy Leader and Minister for Social Security |
| style="background-color: {{party color|Reform Jersey}}"|
| St Saviour | 2022 | |
| style="background-color: {{party color|Reform Jersey}}"|
| St Helier South | 2014 | Leader and Minister for Housing |
| style="background-color: {{party color|Reform Jersey}}"|
| St Helier South | 2022 | |
| style="background-color: {{party color|Reform Jersey}}"|
| St Helier Central | 2002 | Previously a member of the Jersey Democratic Alliance, joined Reform in 2014 |
| style="background-color: {{party color|Reform Jersey}}"|
| St Brelade | 2008 | Previously a member of Time4Change, joined Reform in 2014 |
| style="background-color: {{party color|Reform Jersey}}"|
| St Helier Central | 2018 | Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website}}
{{Jersey political parties}}
Category:Political parties in Jersey