Over the last four years, Reform Jersey has had three elected members in the States Assembly who have worked closely together to try to bring about changes to improve ordinary Islanders’ lives, as well as leading the opposition to the Council of Ministers’ harshest policies.

We have held a parliamentary party meeting almost every week throughout this electoral term, where we have co-ordinated our efforts to ensure that our time is spent most effectively. We believe this has been a crucial reason we have been able to achieve the successes we have.

Our three elected States Members have each worked hard on Scrutiny Panels throughout the term. They have taken on constituency work from around the whole Island when Islanders have come to them for help when their own Deputies have not been capable of helping them. The vast majority of States’ questions and private members’ propositions throughout this term have come from Reform Jersey members.

Our work has included –

• Persuading the States to agree to seek accreditation as a ‘Living Wage’ employer and accelerate the timetable for raising the Minimum Wage
• Campaigning with others to successfully help save People’s Park from being developed as the new hospital site
• Bringing Equal Marriage onto the political agenda
• Getting the States to agree to introduce online voting by the next election
• Preventing the abolition of the Pensioners’ Christmas Bonus for the poorest pensioners
• Achieving free bus passes for disabled Islanders
• Exposing much of the wasteful spending by senior civil servants
• Preventing the imposition of a lower Minimum Wage for young people
• Protecting funding for language teaching assistants in schools
• Banning discrimination against tenants with children
• Introducing an Ethical Care Charter for home care
• Thwarting government attempts to introduce stealth taxes
• Introducing Trade Union recognition rules

We have attempted to achieve much more than this. However, with a parliamentary majority pitted against us, this has often been difficult. With a greater number of Reform Jersey members in the Assembly, our chances of achieving our manifesto pledges will be greatly improved.

Whilst Reform Jersey has never been afraid to speak out in opposition to the government, we have never opposed just for the sake of it. We have been able to maintain a good working relationship with all States Members to get the best outcomes for the public and have voted with the Council of Ministers when it has been the responsible thing to do.

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