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District No.1 Election St Helier – Royal Court electoral challenge

Here is the press release issued in the respect of the electoral challenge to the election in District No.1 St Helier on 15th October.
 

"Following the Judgment of the Royal Court today to reject an application by myself and Mr Gino Risoli to challenge the result of the election in District No1. St Helier on 15^th October 2014, it is hoped that the mistakes made in the conduct of the election will be lessons learnt for candidates and Parish electoral administrators.

Election results are more than just private disputes, they are of significant public importance. It has rightly been stated that “the right to vote would be merely abstract if the right to sue to enforce it was not guaranteed in law”.

The mistakes made in the conduct of the election in District No.1 St Helier should be a reminder, to candidates and those who administer elections, of the need for rigor, not only in the nomination process but also throughout the election.

The responsibility to present a valid nomination paper rests entirely on the prospective candidate. In addition, it is of concern that a candidate’s negligent mistake in completing and presenting a nomination form was not picked up during the process of advance checking and final acceptance, by those with responsibility for electoral procedures in the Parish of St Helier.

The following matters of importance flow from the electoral challenge brought to the Royal Court:

1.       Bad practice is identified and rectified;

2.       Good practice is established;

3.       Those responsible are held to account;

4.       Lessons are learnt;

5.       The electoral process is improved for future elections;

6.       Public confidence is maintained in the electoral process.

The election in District No.1 must be seen in the context of Jersey’s first General Election, whereby all three categories of States Members faced election on a single election day. Inevitably, the added complexity presented challenges that might have been better predicted and met. All Parishes had to be prepared for four separate elections; Senators, Constables, Deputies and the Referendum, all on the same day.  In St Helier there were three separate elections ultimately held. 21 candidates presented themselves for 10 Deputy seats."

"If voting changed anything, it would be illegal." - Elections do they matter?

Here are the boys discussing that fundamental question as to whether one should vote. Too many just satisfy themselves with some nice excuse as to why they should not vote. In District No.1 St Helier we know 60% to70% will abstain. This is essentially the working class. Yesterday, in De Quetteville Court, I won one and possible another two votes from the family, from a working class man who had lived in Jersey for 26 years and never voted. He was sitting outside his flat when I engaged him in conversation. I met the usual indifference. I left with the promise of a pre-poll vote. Between the two moments, was a contested debate as to why nothing ever changed in Jersey. I won the argument and left with the assumption I had his vote. He received from me sufficient confidence that his vote made a difference and that he had my respect. I remember his name, but do not need to mention it here. Lisen: http://novaramedia.com/2014/10/voting-elections-do-they-matter/

LIARS ALL - Disillusioned, not registered and not voting - WORKING CLASS JERSEY REJECT THE POLITICAL CLASS

Canvassing this evening at Mont Millais I encountered the following message posted on the front door of a flat, telling me that election literature was not welcome. Naturally I knocked to enter into debate. One day our rulers will wake to realise the truth - they are hated.

1st HUSTINGS - DISTRICT No.1 ST HELIER - Ommaroo Hotel - Wednesday 2nd October 2014

Here are the videos of opening speeches by candidates in District No1 St Helier, held at the Ommaroo Hotel, Havre des Pas at 7pm.

About thirty people attended and questions ranged over Palestine, Asbestos related deaths in public buildings; the removal of Constables from the States; what changes candidates would wish to impliment in the district and the green composting site at La Collette and its dangers.

The candidates are: Deputy Nick Le Cornu; Deputy Judy Martin; Shannen Kerrigan (Reform Jersey); Scott Wickenden; Russel Labey; Gino Rissoli.

The second hustings will be held on Wednesday 8th October in the Town Hall at 7pm. This will be filmed and available in its entirety on the Vote.je website.




 

MANIFESTO - Please re-elect Deputy Nick Le Cornu - St Helier No.1 : ELECTION DAY 15th October 2014 - TOWN HALL - 8AM-8PM

Here is my Manifesto for the  Deputy election in District No.1 St Helier on 15th October 2014:

POLITICAL VIOLENCE - Slash and bend

"This election seems to be the most dirty I have ever known in Jersey" said the elderly woman as I tied a poster to a lamppost outside her window. I agreed with her and expanded on the most recent dirty tricks campaign being run by the Establishement and its media.

There is certainly an air of deperation from the Right now that the economic situation has been revealed to be worse than previously thought. The prospect of a £95 million deficit, now structural, will call for some radical and desperate measures after the election and the Right is securely back in power. The Establishment will be pursuing a policy of Austerity, which amounts to cuts in public services, cuts in public sector jobs, pressure on public sector salaries, GST increases and new "user pays" charges.


 We are fully aware of the existence of organised far right groups in the island. Indeed Jersey is famous in political history for its sons and their involvment with organisations like Combat 18, an extremist and racist UK grouplet. Abuse is their hallmark and violence is only the next logical step.


 Yesterday as the States met for the final meeting of the term, members arriving at 9.30am were greeted with the sight of a flower basket pole outside the Royal Court steps, bent at an angle of 45 degrees. Quite how this miracle of alcohol fueled strength had been achieved alluded all.

Attached to the pole was one of my elections posters and another for Reform Jersey. Both remained intact, but the obvious conclusion could only be that there was some connection between this act of criminal damage and the presence of political posters. My own thoughts are that it was not directed at the Left particularly but as a protest against the political class in general. Such are the frustrations in society that such acts of criminal violence become an expression of protest.

Approaching the Chief of the States of Jersey Police at lunch time today, (doing the usual PR exercise to reassure the suits there is no crime in King Street at 1pm), I enquired about the pole and whether the culprits might be ascertained. I was referred to the beat officer responsible for the area who noted that no complaints of criminal damage had been notified by TTS. Apparently there is no CCTV in the vicinity of that pole, so once again we see that the omnipotent CCTV fails when it's really needed.

The violence and criminality has not simply been restricted to a poll in the Royal Square, one of my banners on the round about above the underpass has been slashed with a knife. Needless to say, the banners either side of mine; that of Senatorial Candidate Malcolm Ferrey and the Establishment candidate in District No.1 St Helier, remain pristine. Thus political violence is selective and we can draw a conclusion from whence it originates.

REINVIGORATED - NICK LE CORNU is standing for re-election as Deputy in District No.1 St Helier

Last night I was nominated as a candidate for a further term as Deputy in District No.1 St Helier, the district in which I live.

There are six candidates for the three seats.

“Austerity Jersey Style”

I will be campaigning against the “Austerity Jersey Style”, that will inevitable be pursued by the Establishment in response to the £95 million budget deficit left by the retiring (and hopefully gone for ever after 15^th October) Treasury Minister. There will be cuts in Public Services, cuts in public sector jobs, continued pressure on public sector wages and increases in GST, a pernicious tax on the working man and woman’s weekly budget. Every time GST is increased 1% the sum of £15 million goes to government. On these and many other issues, that affect the majority of constituents in my district, I will elaborate further on the door, in my campaign literature and at HUSTINGS to be held in the Town Hall on 8^th October at 7.00pm.

Here is my Proposer’s speech. I am grateful to Malcolm Ray as Proposer and to all my seconders for their outstanding act of solidarity:

“I know Nick to be a decent and honourable family man.

The important characteristic of anyone is what they have achieved and what they are capable of doing in the future.

Nick Le Cornu’s track record speaks for itself.

Nick was born in the island, educated at Victoria College and went to University in Warwick and Caen, in France.

He studied Law, qualified as a Solicitor and practiced in London and the City.

From a position of relative privilege, he has been a tireless campaigner for social justice since his return to the island.

In the early '90's he formed the group "Pro Choice" along with a number of local women and men, to campaign for women's rights and legalise abortion.

Nick is Secretary of Jersey Human Rights Group, which produced important reports on surveillance and questioned the necessity of the introduction of Tasers.

He helped found the "A Team" and campaigned for Option "A" during the April 2013 Referendum.

He was elected as a Deputy in a by election in March this year, gaining 20% more votes than the Establishment candidate.

I know for a fact that before election, he provided his services pro bono to represent a dozen workers before the Jersey Employment Tribunal,

following unfair dismissals.

In July he helped organise the Equality March for Equal Marriage.

Nick has continued this ethic of service into his constituency work.

We need now to focus on the REAL and pressing issues facing us in the future.

We need a politician who is going to stand up for working people, from every community and nationality.

We need someone who is fearless and determined and has a proven track record of fighting for the rights and concerns of those who would otherwise be voiceless.

I'm confident that Nick Le Cornu is that type of politician.

He is open and accommodating, ready at all times to try and find a solution to a constituents' problem.

Nick’s policies will include fighting against any increase in GST.

He wants a living wage for all workers, not just a minimum wage. He will campaign to end precarious employment contracts and in particular Zero Hours contracts.

He will lend his support to Trade Unionists who want to fight the cuts in jobs and services that are now inevitable as a result of the broken “low tax, low spend” model  that will result in a £35 million budget deficit this year and  £50 million in 2015

Nick will campaign to force the States to find the money to build a 21^st Century Hospital on one site, suitable for islanders’ needs.

We need a health service where patients sent to England from Jersey are not left sleeping in an Airport lobby because of lack of administrative coordination.

Rest assured, Nick will continue to campaign for social justice in Jersey and constitutional reform.”

I will be posting videos and maintaining a critique of the campaign as it progresses. 

Be assured this election will be about policies to be pursued in the near future and the capabity of any candidate to carry out that task.

This is YOUR candidate:

The Establishment Candidate

One thing I would point out is that there is an overt “Establishment” Candidate running in District No.1 - parachuted in from a Country Parish, with neither affinity or attachment to St Helier and policies inimical to the social and economic interests of the majority of constituents. More of this I will write later.