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A debate over whether the Chief Minister should remain in the top job opened on Tuesday morning with an explosive allegation that the former CEO had once left her office in tears... Watch the debate back and find all the key updates here...
The allegation was made by the man behind the motion of no confidence, former Infrastructure Minister Tom Binet – although Deputy Moore came back with a strong denial that she and the former Chief Executive had a good relationship.
Ahead of the vote, Deputy Binet had the confirmed backing of at least 14 other Deputies – including Reform Jersey's 10-strong bloc – but will need to win over at least half of the Assembly to succeed.
Catch up on the biggest stories in the run-up to the vote below, keep abreast of the latest key updates through our live blog or watch the proceedings live...
Tom Binet: Why I'm bringing the vote - PODCAST
How does a VONC work? Here's what you need to know...
Kristina Moore makes bid to woo business community with £30m project cuts pledge
Chief Minister loses long-term ally – but has she won back business leaders?
Pressure on Moore as Reform Jersey's 10 politicians declare "time for new leadership"
CM struggles amid grilling by politicians over £30m project cuts
Binet opens debate with accusation Chief Minister left former Government CEO in tears
Chief Minister responds to criticism, outlining Government achievements
THE RESULTS
FOR: 27
AGAINST: 22
ABSTAIN: 0
“Absolutely right to bring this proposition”
In a short closing speech, Deputy Tom Binet thanked Members for staying late to get the vote of no confidence debate done in one day, as well as praising those members of the public who had turned up to watch.
He assured the Assembly that he is “acutely aware” of the consequences of a vote of no confidence, and said that he would sleep soundly tonight after hearing the speeches today – adding that he still felt it was “absolutely right to bring this proposition”.
Deputy Binet said that he hoped that Members would vote for the “best interests of the island of Jersey”.
“Too weak or too strong”?
Describing the vote of no confidence debate as a “low point”, the Chief Minister said it was a “huge honour to hold this office” despite the “many challenges”.
In her closing speech, she compared today’s debate to a “public performance review” and thanked members for their candour.
Deputy Moore said that the Council of Ministers had “performed on [their] brief” and were “meeting the needs of islanders struggling”.
The Chief Minister said that the debate had been critical of her leadership style, explaining that she had been seen as both “too weak or too strong”, and “a terrible leader or someone who has done a good job at leading the island through a crisis”.
Deputy Moore concluded her speech by asking Members to “consider very carefully the rationale behind this proposition” as well as “the impact it will have on the progress we are making as an island”.
"Ashamed" of the States Assembly
The Constable of St Lawrence, Deidre Mezbourian, briefly stood up to say: “Today has been the only time I have been ashamed to be a member of the States Assembly.”
A “hierarchal system of Government” with a “secretive and elitist” Cabinet Office
Deputy Rose Binet – who recently resigned from her role as Assistant Health Minister – said that she would be supporting the vote of no confidence based on her “personal experience over the past 18 months”.
She described being “increasingly concerned” about the Chief Minister’s unwavering support for the Health Minister – who she said had become unrecognisable since taking on the role.
Deputy Binet criticised Deputy Wilson’s “untruthful letter” written to Deputy Geoff Southern – which prompted the vote of no confidence in him – as well as the Chief Minister for not doing more to “avoid the whole unseemly debate”.
She also slammed the Council of Ministers for abstaining in the vote of no confidence in Deputy Southern, as well as criticising the “huge cost” of Professor Mascie-Taylor.
The former Assistant Health Minister described being “silenced” in a “hierarchal system of Government” with a “secretive and elitist” Cabinet Office.
VONC signatory: Allegations and undertones “offensive”
Vote of no confidence signatory and St Helier Deputy Mary Le Hegarat said she had originally made a decision not to speak during the debate.
However, the furious politician said she had been “offended” by Deputy Andrews’ suggestions that any level of misogyny may have underscored the vote of no confidence motion – noting that she was a co-signatory alongside two other female Deputies, Rose Binet and Andy Howell – before outlining a number of other areas of frustration with the current leadership.
St Mary’s Constable: “Cream” will rise to the top
In a very short speech, Constable David Johnson rebutted Deputy Andrews’ suggestion that it may be a challenge to replace the expertise of the current Council of Ministers. He said the “cream” would inevitably rise up.
However, he nonetheless said he did not believe the vote to be in the island's best interests.
Deputy Andrews: “I am not going to do the dirty work of other politicians so they can have a power grab”
Deputy Max Andrews spoke strongly in support of the current government.
He repeatedly raised concerns about the prospect of what he deemed to be a very “competent” group of Ministers being thrown out as a result of the vote of no confidence.
Deputy Andrews went on to express sympathy with Deputy Moore and other female colleagues who he said may have been on the receiving end of “inhumane” comments.
He went on to state that he would not “do the dirty work of other politicians so they can have a power grab” and blasted Constable Vibert for his decision to relinquish his Assistant Ministerial role to support the vote against Deputy Moore.
He said he was disappointed “to see him jump ship so late”, adding: “Really he should have done that some time ago.”
Farnham: "PR-led Government that seems to be more interested in image"
Deputy Lyndon Farnham opened his speech by referencing Kristina Moore’s promise of a “better way”, adding that he signed the nomination paper for the Chief Minister.
However, he said the the Chief Minister has shown “poor judgement” – particularly in relation to the loss of the former Government CEO “under questionable circumstances”.
Deputy Farnham argued the the current Government had been “far less productive” than previous governments – adding that they had lodged 40% less propositions in first 18 months than their predecessors.
He suggested that there was some “retribution at play”, with the work of the previous Government being “erased”.
Deputy Farnham criticised the projects that had been cancelled “without due democratic process”, and praised Deputy Binet for “trying to get on with it”.
Deputy Farnham described Government’s “double standards” in many areas – including travel choices – adding that the “erosion of public trust is another factor in this debate”.
He claimed that the Chief Minister has “allowed standards to drop amongst Ministers”, which he said has “cast a shadow across the credibility of this Government”.
Deputy Farnham slammed the Government’s “mantra for openness and transparency” as “empty words”.
He also described “a PR-led Government that seems to be more interested in image”.
“We are not looking after our own,” Deputy Farnham added.
He suggested that the timing of the vote of no confidence led to a “swift moving of the deckchairs” with “laudable” promises to business leaders at Chamber of Commerce business lunch – in which the Chief Minister reduced the 2024 priorities from seven to five, excluding environment.
Deputy Farnham also revealed that the Chief Minister tried to split the responsibility for Environment and Planning shortly before the vote of no confidence was tabled.
Deputy Farnham claimed that Deputy Moore offered the new position of Planning Minister to the Constable of St Peter – who he said “duly accepted”.
However, Deputy Farnham said that people then found out and were “not too pleased”.
He said that “ultimatums were given” and it was eventually decided that Deputy Renouf would remain in his current role.
Deputy Farnham said that there is “never a good time for vote of no confidence” as there are “always challenging global events”, but added that there is “nothing wrong with removing a Government from office for the right reasons”.
“Move forward,” he said. “Start again and do it better.”
Concluding his speech, Deputy Farnham said that “the challenges we face require steadfast and capable leadership”, but said that a vote of no confidence would deliver “renewed commitment to Jersey and its people”.
External Relations Minister: Like "Groundhog Day"?
External Relations Minister Philip Ozouf described the situation as “Groundhog Day”, drawing parallels with a vote of no confidence against a previous Chief Minister sparked by the dissatisfaction of another St John Constable. This, he said, “tipped over into personality politics”.
He said he was unable to understand, beyond the issues regarding the Health Board raised by Andy Jehan, what could justify voting to oust the Chief Minister.
“I am really digging deep and asking myself what is the reason apart from this issue which has been raised by the Constable of St John about the Health Minister. We haven’t had a vote of no confidence in the Health Minister… I have confidence in the Health Minister, I agreed to be an Assistant Minister,” he said.
Elsewhere in his speech defending Deputy Moore, he quoted Nelson Mandela, stating: “A good head and a good heart are a formidable combination.”
Describing the decision as “monumental”, he urged States Members to consider the “proportionality” of voting to oust the Chief Minister and said they should abstain if they were not firm on their reasons.
Treasury Minister: VONC "cannot be a good thing for our island’s political stability"
Treasury Minister Ian Gorst opened his speech in support of the Chief Minister by urging the Assembly to look at the wider “global context”.
Pointing to the lasting impact of the pandemic and ongoing overseas conflicts, Deputy Gorst described the “detrimental” impact of these events on our island economy.
The Treasury Minister brought up the vote of no confidence that he faced during his time as Chief Minister, in which he said he was accused of being “unable to organise a drinking party in a brewery”.
He also referenced his own speech during the debate about the vote of no confidence in former Chief Minister John Le Fondré which focussed on “putting Jersey first”.
“We can’t and we shouldn’t seek to do everything all at once,” said Deputy Gorst.
The Treasury Minister highlighted the importance of “political stability” – which he said was the reason why every vote of no confidence in a Chief Minister had been unsuccessful so far.
Deputy Gorst said: “Once an Assembly has voted to remove a Chief Minister and therefore a Government it will, in my mind, become easier to do so for a second time.
“That cannot be a good thing for our island’s political stability or wider economic and social stability.”
He urged those who are still undecided on how to vote to “be mindful of that stability which has been long fought for and long argued for”.
“Once gone, I fear will take time to rebuild,” he concluded.
Jehan: “We’ve experienced more U-turns and handbrake turns than the Jersey rally”
Deputy Andy Jehan, who resigned from Government at the end of last year in protest at leadership and the direction of the Health Department, started his speech by stating: “It’s the first time in my life I’ve been accused of having a lack of commitment to Jersey.”
Echoing comments made in his resignation letter, he emphasised his dissatisfaction over the running of the Health Advisory Board, and the controversial extension of the Interim Chair’s contract, but levelled several other criticisms.
He also took aim at the Chief Minister for suggesting she was committed to working with teaching unions earlier in the debate, without making any reference to an ultimatum letter issued on Friday which had led one union to take legal advice.
The Constable further critiqued the Government for an apparent failure to manage headcount, continuing to recruit to areas with few vacancies.
He went on to reveal that the Chief Minister’s U-turn on removing GST from period products – which left the island as the only place in the British Isles with a so-called ‘tampon tax’ – had left him feeling uncomfortable. He said he only “reluctantly” voted with the rest of the Council of Ministers on this motion.
He said the final deciding factor for him had come in the form of an approach from External Relations Minister Philip Ozouf when he had been in town with his wife last week – but declined to reveal details of the exchange in the Chamber.
Rounding off his speech, he described the current Government as one that had brought about “more U-turns and handbrake turns than the Jersey rally”.
Environment Minister: “Long-standing” and “deep-seated problems” in Health
Environment Minister Jonathan Renouf’s speech focussed primarily on the issues within the Health department, and he praised the Chief Minister “for backing her Heath Minister”.
“Deputy Wilson has a vision for Health that I back,” he said, praising the “determined” and “resilient” Health Minister.
Deputy Renouf described the new Health Board and Turnaround Team as “massive significant steps forward”, adding that “clinical guidelines will follow”.
Describing “long-standing” and “deep-seated problems” in the Health department, he said: “No one has tackled these fundamental issues in Health before.”
Although Deputy Renouf acknowledged that some people are “resistant to modern governance”, the Environment Minister said: “I have heard no compelling reasons put forward as to why Jersey should opt out of these governance structures.”
In reference to his recently axed proposals to tighten Jersey's tree legislation, Deputy Renouf claimed that there is a “gap between perception and reality”.
He described this same “gap” in the planning department's issues, but acknowledged that “islanders have concerns about performance of planning services”.
“I am committed to the improvement of planning services,” he added.
Stating that there should be a “very high bar” for changing Government in the middle of a term, Deputy Renouf concluded: “I agree with the strategic priorities of this Government.”
Health Minister: “It takes two to tango, and he has led the dance”
Health Wilson Karen Wilson opened her speech by addressing the extensive criticism she had faced during the debate, saying: "I should have come to this Assembly today with a coat of armour, and I considered asking whether I could have the mace by my side in case to ward off attack”.
Deputy Wilson accused Deputy Binet as being “on a campaign to undermine my work in the Health Services.
“It takes two to tango, and he has led the dance,” she added, condemning the “hypocritical venting” and “unpleasant behaviour” of other States Members.
The Health Minister said that “this Government inherited a declining health service characterised by years and years of underfunding significant staffing and recruitment problems, unmanaged clinical risk and poor governance”.
She described the “challenge to reverse this decline” as “enormous”.
Deputy Wilson said that the critical report by Professor Hugo Mascie-Taylor had been a “watershed moment” and described the treatment of the health expert as “appalling”.
“Instead of valuing the expertise and experience he brought, he has been subject to a narrative that has denigrated the value of his international experience,” she said.
“Never could this assertion to be further from the truth, but I ask Assembly members to think: When you hear this kind of thing, what does it say about Jersey when we cannot even value the contribution of a recognised international expert who was interested and committed are helping us get good things done?”
However, Deputy Wilson said that the Chief Minister had been “supportive and enabling" of her “ambitious heath agenda”.
The Health Minister accused Deputy Binet and Constable Jehan of “walking away from their responsibilities”, and said: “I remain making big decisions and big calls for the interests of islands.”
Addressing the report by the Commissioner of Standards in which the Health Minister was found to have “misused the power of [her] position”, Deputy Wilson admitted that she had made a mistake but asked: “Why does it keep coming up?”
Deputy Wilson said: “As a team, we have stood resolute on our ambition to deliver better healthcare and under this Chief Minister's leadership we have made real progress – not the tepid progress Deputy Bailhache asserted, but real progress.
“If members vote for this proposition today, they risk delaying all the progress we have made over the last few months.“
Assistant Minister resigns
The Assistant Minister for Children and Education, and for Treasury and Resources has resigned in order to vote in accordance with the views expressed by his parishioners in St Peter.
Constable Richard Vibert confirmed that this was in order to be able to vote in support of the vote of no confidence in Kristina Moore.
Speaking in the States Assembly this afternoon, Constable Vibert explained that he had received “numerous calls and messages from parishioners” prior to the vote of no confidence debate and said that he “had to vote in accordance with their views”.
Constable Vibert said that his parishioners had raised concerns about the Government's "lack of understanding about the cost of living crisis", the "lack of progress" on rezoned land in St Peter, infrastructure issues, and the "very slow development of the hospital".
The Constable of St Peter concluded that, due to these issues, he was left with "no choice but to resign [his] position and support the vote of no confidence".
Assistant Environment Minister: “It wasn't the leadership example I had expected"
Deputy Hilary Jeune declared she would be voting against the vote of no confidence.
She explained her reasoning: “I believe there has been positive progress made by different Minsiters… And I want to prioritise the larger mission over personal politics.”
She continued: “Jersey faces complex challenges, yet our collective gaze seems fixated on internal conflicts personalities and power dynamics.”
“Our focus should be on policy decisions, effective governance and collaborative problem solving, rather than personal animosities and divisive strategies.”
She then addressed her “recent experience”, saying the Chief Minister has apologised to me about how she handled her reaction to the Les Sablons decision and I have accepted it.
“It wasn't the leadership example I had expected, but I recognised the Chief Minister’s difficult decision.
“I acted in good faith,” she said.
“I continue to stand by my decision”
“I distanced myself from the final decision due to the focus shifting to me rather than the application’s merits.
“Circumstances beyond my control meant any decision I made would likely overshadow the planning issues but is critical for Jersey to uphold the integrity and independence of the planning decision-making process.”
Assistant Education Minister: “I would like to keep this Chief Minister"
“I have absolute confidence in the Chief Minister, full stop,” said Deputy Louise Doublet, Assistant Minister for Children and Education and for Justice and Home Affairs.
She described Kristina Moore as “somebody who listens”, and praised the current Council of Ministers for being the “most diverse and progressive” Government that Jersey has ever had.
“The Government is not perfect, but I am proud to be a part of it,” she added.
Echoing Constable Crowcroft’s sentiment, Deputy Doublet put the public’s “discontent” down to “the world that we are living in at the moment”.
She added that the Council of Ministers have a “deep concern” for people’s lives and how to make them better.
Deputy Doublet applauded the Health Minister for her work on breastfeeding and the Women’s Health Strategy, as well as praising the current Government for their focus on improving children’s lives.
Turning back to Kristina Moore, Deputy Doublet said: “I’m really struggling to understand what she has done that is so terrible.”
“I would like to keep this Chief Minister,” she added.
Deputy Doublet concluded that the Government need to “disagree better”, adding that “this is something that the Chief Minister does well”.
St Helier Constable: “Unwise to have a reset”
Constable Simon Crowcroft said that many of the problems that had been blamed on the Chief Minister were simply “problems in common with most other countries”.
Describing himself as a “rookie” Assistant Chief Minister, Constable Crowcroft said that he was “immensely heartened” by what he had found during his time the Council of Ministers so far.
He thanked Constable Jehan for resigning and making space for him on the Council of Ministers.
“His loss is my gain,” joked Constable Crowcroft
Although he praised Deputy Binet for his “refreshing vision” for St Helier, Constable Crowcroft said that it would be “unwise to have a reset” of Government.
“Are things so very bad that we need a change of Government?” he asked.
“We’re taking about at least four months of time wasted, possibly more.”
Reform Leader: “It is clear that our leadership is not working”
Reform Jersey leader Deputy Sam Mézec opened his speech by praising Kristina Moore for her dedication to the role of Chief Minister.
Despite confirming that all 10 Reform Jersey members would be voting in support of the Vote of No Confidence, he said that “the island should be grateful that she has been willing to serve as Chief Minister”.
However, the Reform Jersey leader said that “it is clear that our leadership is not working”.
Deputy Mézec described the Government as being “beset by dysfunctionality”, with “open warfare between Ministers”.
He also criticised the Chief Minister for unilaterally changing the Government Plan just nine days after it was approved without consulting the Assembly.
Deputy Mézec took the opportunity to confirm that Reform Jersey members had not asked for roles from Deputy Moore when they met with her ahead of today’s debate, but had just asked for their ideas to be considered.
He also dispelled the “whispers and rumours of deals”, explaining that “Reform Jersey has done no deals with anyone including the proposer of this motion [Deputy Tom Binet].”
Deputy Mezec described the latest update in the teacher pay dispute as “the final straw”, and criticised the Government for “doubling down on its divide and conquer tactics”.
“There is no chance of things getting better as they are,” he said.
“I urge members to stand up and be counted; be prepared to say ‘enough and enough’ and do what is right for the island.”
Deputy Mézec concluded by quoting something that Kristina Moore said in the debate on the Vote of No Confidence that she brought against former Chief Minister John Le Fondre: “Change can be a difficult thing sometimes, but sometimes change can be the catalyst of good – and when something is fundamentally not working, it is not sensible to continue doing the same thing and expecting a different result.”
"It takes time to rebuild momentum"
“Forget all score settling and find a way to work together in the public interest,” urged Housing Minister David Warr, as he stood up to speak in favour of Kristina Moore.
Explaining that change is slower in the public sector than the private sector, Deputy Warr described Government as “more akin to a large freight train than a formula one car”.
Continuing the analogy, Deputy Warr described Kristina Moore as the “new driver” of the freight train and highlighted on the importance of “momentum”.
“When things break, we have to stop the train to carry out repairs,” he explained. “It takes time to rebuild momentum; the good news is that we have that momentum.”
Deputy Warr said that changing leadership would result in a “loss of momentum”, describing it as the equivalent to taking the Government freight train off the track for repairs.
“We’re all heading for the same place!” he added. “Why don’t we just stay on that moving train?”
“We have momentum – let’s get on and deliver!” concluded Deputy Warr.
“Relationships have broken down on the Chief Minister’s watch”
Deputy Moz Scott described a “bullying culture in the Council of Ministers” and criticised Kristina Moore’s “unsatisfactory leadership”.
Deputy Scott claimed that former Government CEO Suzanne Wylie was “traumatised from her experience with our Council of Ministers” – describing Mrs Wylie as a “bright and authentic individual diminished to someone that showed trauma”.
“Relationships have broken down on the Chief Minister’s watch,” she added.
Deputy Scott also criticised the “balance” in the current Council of Ministers, adding that “spin over substance does not stand up to scrutiny”.
“This island needs a steadier pair of hands,” she concluded.
"A vote for change that is desperately needed"
Deputy Barbara Ward stood up to describe Jersey as a “mini Westminster”, with a system that is "disenfranchising" to those outside the Council of Ministers.
Describing the formation of the Cabinet Office as "the last jigsaw piece", Deputy Ward said that the current "UK-style ministerial structure is broken and doesn’t work for Jersey”.
She said that the "rest of the Assembly are not truly consulted or collaborated with”, adding that the current system is "not truly demographic".
Deputy Ward described the Vote of No Confidence as "a vote for change that is desperately needed”.
"Collaborative working doesn’t come naturally to everyone”
Despite speaking in support of the Chief Minister, Assistant Chief Minister Lucy Stephenson admitted that the Council of Ministers need to “listen, learn and act” on some of the issues raised by the Vote of No Confidence.
She praised the current Government for their work in “fixing the mistakes of previous governments”, including the underfunding of emergency services, the review of working conditions for headteachers and teachers, retrospectively fitting air conditioning at the new Les Quennevais school, and the Opera House refurbishment.
Deputy Stephenson admitted that there are challenges in the “silo structure” of the current ministerial system – but said this is not due to the people involved, but rather the system as a whole.
In what seemed to be a dig at Deputy Binet, Deputy Stephenson said that she had learnt that “collaborative working doesn’t come naturally to everyone”.
She also praised the Chief Minister for standing by the Health Minister “in the face of sustained and targeted attacks”.
Deputy Stephenson described Health Minister Karen Wilson’s role as “the hardest job in the whole of Government”.
She also applauded Deputy Wilson for staying positive in the face of “more than her fair share of negativity”, adding that her work on the Women’s Health Strategy is “evidence of collaborative and productive working”.
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Catch up on the morning below:
"Our sister island Guernsey might shoulder some of the blame"
Although he began with a quip that recent events in Guernsey may have influenced proceedings, outlining his support for the bid to oust Deputy Moore, Deputy Steve Luce repeatedly referred to his "sadness" and "disappointment" at the current state of affairs.
He said it was regrettable that the Chief Minister had let go of a talented Assistant Chief in Andy Jehan, and described Deputy Binet as the best possible person to have led the Infrastructure Department.
Elsewhere, he decried the "personal" nature of the debate and raised concerns of previous occasions where Deputy Moore had chosen not to be in attendance on a States Assembly day.
Education Minister compares vote to "rock band" split
The Education Minister was first to jump to support the Chief Minister.
She noted that it was the second time she had been involved a vote of no confidence debate – and that this one was more about "stylistic" approach to leadership, rather than policy and management.
This led to a comparison with "rock bands" who split up to pursue solo albums.
She went on to explain that the Government had made much progress in the area of Education – such as through its plans to expand Mont á L'Abbé School and reducing the number of teacher vacancies – and that the Government should be able to continue.
"He said, she said"? Chief Minister responds
"We have been dragged into this debate hearing a lot of 'he said, she said' points - the public would ask why we are not getting on with the job?" she said.
Deputy Moore said her style is about compromise, co-operation and coalition. Listening leads to better decision making, she said.
"A vote against me is a vote against the whole Council of Ministers," she told Members. She added that she tried to mediate in the ongoing clashes between Deputy Binet, his sister Deputy Rose Binet and the Health Minister, but that this was unsuccessful. Deputy [Tom] Binet has not been a team player," she added.
"To the best of my knowledge we did never fall out," said Deputy Moore in reference to the departure of chief executive Suzanne Wylie, saying the two had "a professional relationship".
Mrs Wylie was "professional and experienced", the Chief Minister said, expressing doubt that she would not have spelled out any concerns about the Chief Minister's leadership if she had such doubts.
Turning to the hospital project, Deputy Moore said that no other country in the world would publish a budget for such a scheme, and that the government was bound by commercial confidentiality.
Reflecting on her relationship with Deputy Binet, she said it was "frustrating" that their "regular agreement" on policy matters was often "trumped by matters not related to policy or delivery".
She went on to outline a number of the Government's achievements since taking office, touching upon investments in the sewage network, Opera House, Health and Education. She also spoke of "good progress" being made with teachers, who had recently protested pay and terms and conditions.
Deputy Moore also revealed the Council of Ministers planned to hold an "away day" in the near future to discuss opportunities for efficiencies.
She concluded by stating that it is a "privilege" to serve the island, before receiving a foot stomp of approbation from her fellow Ministers.
"The Chief Minister and her closest advisors are reluctant to face reality"
Deputy Binet opened the debate by reflecting on comments from the Chief Minister's allies to the media in the run-up to the debate – including a suggestion from External Relations Minister Deputy Ozouf that "misogyny" was at play – that he considered "rather rude and unnecessary".
This, he claimed, reflected that "the Chief Minister and her closest advisers are reluctant to face reality".
The former Infrastructure Minister went on to reveal that he considered resigning from his role at the same time as former Assistant Chief Minister Andy Jehan, but considered that it would not be prudent to do so before the Government's spending plans were agreed in December.
He said that he came to the debate with "clean hands" and had not leaned on any States Members or made deals – each vote will be reflective of their own thoughts and feelings.
In a previous report outlining the reasons for bringing the vote, Deputy Binet had spoken of what he described as "unacceptable" behaviour from the Chief Minister towards previous CEO Suzanne Wylie, and criticised her support for the Health Minister.
Providing more context, he went on to claim that he had once witnessed "very well-respected and much-liked" former CEO Suzanne Wylie leaving the Chief Minister's office in tears.
Deputy Binet also referred to being "summoned to head office" last summer and told by Deputy Moore not to reveal the full cost of the hospital project across the rest of the government term, which he said was in breach of the Chief Minister's pledge to be transparent.
He further claimed that the Chief Minister had not been decisive when it came to the new hospital project, and appeared at one point to be ready for a "volte face". He also described a meeting in which he said the Chief and Health Ministers had acted in a "discourteous" way, looking at their phones under the table and failing to make eye contact.
Deputy Tom Binet has ended his speech with an appeal to the Assembly: "If Members are really honest with themselves, they don’t need to look too far to realise how disappointed the people of Jersey are. We members have the opportunity to change that."
Chief Minister pressed for answers on project cuts
Deputy Kristina Moore faced a period of questions without notice in which she was repeatedly grilled by Reform Jersey Deputies over comments made to the Chamber of Commerce at a sold-out lunch event last week.
At the time, she revealed that Government wished to cut a number of projects to save £30m, and put it back into the 'Rainy Day Fund', and also noted that Government was planning to put the "fun" back into Fort Regent. However, she did not provide details when pressed by Deputies Catherine Curtis and Raluca Kovacs on each of these matters.
The Chief Minister has pledged to rein in a number of Government projects to save £30m, just days ahead of a fight to hold onto the top job.
— Bailiwick Express (@bailiwickxpress) January 11, 2024
Kristina Moore today outlined her five key priorities for 2024...
Read more:https://t.co/21OB4Barxx
The party's leader, Sam Mézec, questioned why such announcements had been made just weeks after the Government Plan was agreed. Deputy Moore responded that public finances were a "constant source of our interest", going on to say that there had been an "opportunity to take stock" at the end of the year, and that the Council of Ministers subsequently held a discussion last Tuesday on the matter.
There's something in the water...
It appears there's something in the water... The vote comes just weeks after Guernsey had its own vote of no confidence, which resulted in Chief Minister Peter Ferbrache being ousted shortly before Christmas.
Bailiwick Express Guernsey had the exclusive first interview with his successor, Deputy Lyndon Trott, which you can listen to below – or wherever you get your podcasts...
The States Assembly has helpfully laid out exactly how a VONC works in a podcast – find it below:
Listen to the latest episode of the States Assembly podcast to learn the facts about Votes of No Confidence ????️
— States Assembly - Jersey's elected parliament (@StatesAssembly) January 15, 2024
Here's Deputy Greffier Will Millow dispelling the myth that there needs to be a 6 month gap between VONCs ????️
Listen and subscribe: https://t.co/2AGm9qmq33 pic.twitter.com/yYBaUMDmF4
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