Four independents strike united tone at rural parish hustings - Jersey Evening Post
by Christie Bailey · Jersey Evening PostPosted inNews
Four independents strike united tone at rural parish hustings
by Christie Bailey 20 May 202620 May 2026
Share this:
Hustings for elections to the States Assembly in 2026. Four candidates for Deputy of St. John, St. Lawrence and Trinity (three seats) held in Trinity parish hall. Candidates L>R Kirsten Morel, Hilary Jeune, Peter Derek McLinton (Peter Mac) and Phil Romeril 19/5/26 Picture: ROB CURRIE
FOUR independent candidates standing in St John, St Lawrence and Trinity struck a notably united tone during a wide-ranging hustings dominated by the cost-of-living crisis, housing reform and concerns over how Jersey is governed.
While the discussion covered everything from women’s health and net-zero ambitions to skate parks and old-age pensions, the sharpest exchanges of the evening centred not on divisions between the candidates themselves, but on criticism of government policy and the Island’s political system.
The would-be Deputies took the stage in a packed Trinity Parish Hall on Tuesday night, vying for three seats in the three-parish district.
Incumbents Deputies Kirsten Morel and Hilary Jeune lined up alongside Phil Romeril, who missed out on election in 2022 after finishing fifth in St Helier North, and Peter McLinton, who is seeking a return to the Assembly after serving one term as Deputy for St Saviour from 2014 to 2018.
It was an amicable evening, with much of the criticism instead directed at Reform Jersey leader Deputy Sam Mézec – despite no candidate from his political party standing in the district.
Mr Romeril got the loudest applause of the night when he criticised the Residential Tenancy Law, championed by Deputy Mézec in his role as Housing Minister, which came into force in April as he said that the updated law risked driving smaller landlords out of the market in favour of corporate operators.
Understandably, the cost-of-living crisis dominated the agenda, with all four candidates endorsing the idea of freezing fuel duty.
Staying true to his Value Jersey roots, Mr Romeril said the “hot topic” of this year’s hustings is a low-cost supermarket.
“Bringing a low-cost or a French supermarket to the Island has now become the focus of this election, and I will work hard and make sure that happens in the first four years,” he added.
Deputy Morel focused on economic diversification and reducing regulation, highlighting achievements during his time as Economic Development Minister including reforms to tourism and alcohol laws, the Opera House refurbishment and improved links with France.
“You may be surprised by this, but I have delivered more than just a new ferry,” he joked, before hastily reminding attendees that “that was a Council of Ministers decision”.
Deputy Jeune highlighted priorities including the environment, healthcare, childcare, online safety and responsible public finances.
“I cannot deliver all of this alone, but I will champion every one of these priorities consistently and always with Islanders’ long-term interests at heart,” she said.
Mr McLinton seemed keen to distance himself from his radio alter-ego ‘Peter Mac’, stating: “Honestly, that’s just one small part of who I am, and certainly not the reason why I’m standing here.”
He added: “I think most Islanders are far less interested in political point-scoring than politicians sometimes imagine. People want practical solutions; they want government to function well, communicate clearly, and make life easier rather than harder.”
The two-hour session saw a broad range of questions on topics including the long-awaited women’s health strategy, a skate park for Trinity, taxing old-age pensions, regulation of the pharmaceutical industry, and the system of government itself.
The latter discussion prompted a disgruntled civil servant to challenge what they saw as the unfair blaming of frontline public workers for government overspending.
All four candidates quickly clarified that it is the “system” that is broken, not the people.
Deputy Jeune said: “It is really important that we recognise that there are people out there in the civil service and the public sector who really do a fantastic job.”
“We have to understand what the impacts are when we start cutting,” she added, pointing to the Jersey Employment Trust as a “perfect example of what happens when you just cut without understanding the impact”.
Deputy Morel pointed to the fact that Jersey still has a paper-based system for most of the Island’s healthcare.
“That’s ridiculous,” he said. “It’s the 21st century. Nobody can tell me that that is a good use of our money to have a paper-based system – and that’s not an attack in any way on any single person who works in our public service “
Mr McLinton noted that “blaming civil servants for a system that doesn’t work is a bit like blaming the windscreen wipers because the car doesn’t work”, whilst Mr Romeril said that the “trust triangle” between the public, the politicians, and the civil service is “broken”.
“That is why it’s critical that we reform the way the government is working in the future,” he added.
There were also two questions on the environment and Jersey’s net-zero ambitions but, as Deputy Morel noted, the issue seemed to have “pretty much dropped off many people’s radars” after being “possibly the number one issue” during the 2022 election.
Former Assistant Environment Minister Deputy Jeune said that Jersey should see the environment “as an investment, not a cost”.
“We need to support the stewards of our environment – whether that is fishers who are supporting the marine life, whether it is our farmers who are supporting our biodiversity, whether it is the heritage and the coastline in the National Trust,” she added.
Deputy Jeune pointed to the Carbon Neutral Roadmap as a way to help Islanders tackle transport and heating emissions while also addressing rising living costs.
Rather than presenting net zero as an abstract goal, she argued for practical support and grants that would help people reduce energy bills and diversify heating and transport systems.
Mr McLinton took a resilience-focused approach, arguing that protecting the environment is essential for Jersey’s long-term ability to feed itself and remain self-sufficient.
“There’s an idea, for some reason, that agriculture is somehow nostalgia – but it is resilience,” he said. “We have to be able to feed ourselves as much as we can over here. Therefore, we have to look after the environment so we can grow our food.”
Mr McLinton said that the Island should develop “a Jersey-sized version of our responsibilities,” tailoring climate policies to the scale and circumstances.
Mr Romeril backed moving towards renewable energy and reducing reliance on petrol and oil, saying: “I can’t see any reason why you wouldn’t support a green renewable future.”
However, he stressed that the transition should happen “at a sensible time that doesn’t break people’s banks,” and questioned whether some policies were being pursued “for image” rather than “for the benefit of Islanders”.
He also suggested Jersey should rethink its overall approach, pointing out that Jersey already performs relatively well on carbon emissions.
Deputy Morel insisted that “green initiatives have to continue,” particularly where they reduce waste and lower costs for residents.
He advocated a “proportionate” response to emissions, focusing on reducing dependence on oil for economic as well as environmental reasons.
Related
Read the latest free supplements
Read the Homelife, Connect and a whole host of other subjects like ranging from cycling to travel.
View all our latest supplements now >