Friday 16 May 2014

Join Reform Jersey!




Following Reform Jersey's meeting last night, we are now officially opening up for membership requests.

If you wish to become a member, please send an email to chairman@reformjersey.je with all of these details -

Title - Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms/ other 
Surname
Forenames
Date of birth
Address - Parish - Postcode
Home phone number
Mobile Phone Number
Email address
Please indicate to what extent you would be willing and able to campaign/ volunteer for the party


There is no membership fee to join Reform Jersey. However, if you are able to make a voluntary donation, that would be much appreciated!

Party membership in Jersey is strictly confidential. We are not required to, and will NOT, publish our membership list under any circumstances.

The party has the right to refuse or revoke membership to somebody who has demonstrated that they do not share the values of the party or that they behave in a way which is likely to bring the party into disrepute.

Membership of the party will give you voting rights at our meetings.


At the meeting last night we ratified a party constitution and elected office holders. We agreed that we would hold an AGM on the 19th of June to elect further office holders and the management committee as well as vote on amendments to the constitution.

Following that, we will hold a public launch event.

31 comments:

  1. ~Where can I get a copy of the constitution?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It isn't available online yet. Members are sent a copy of the constitution when they join. At the AGM next month we'll be debating potential amendments to it. Mostly crossing the t's and dotting the i's.

      Delete
  2. Cheers - just checking as to whether I am in agreement with underlying principles.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'll post the "Statement of Values" when I get to a computer.

      Delete
  3. Guess who you think were there.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Will you be setting up a Reform Jersey website with what the party stands for etc,etc,and who if any members who will be standing for election so far.Thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Absolutely. We have a designer coming up with website concepts at the moment. Hopefully will have one up in the next month or so.

      Exactly who is standing in what seat hasn't been decided yet. But the four current sitting members will definitely be standing for reelection.

      Delete
  5. Hi again - not seen the Statement of Values yet?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've updated the "Reform Jersey" tab at the top of this page, which now has the Statement of Values on it.

      Cheers,
      Sam

      Delete
  6. What is the party's policy on allowing those with previous criminal convictions, or civil judgements against them, to join ? Does this violate the 'disrepute' clause ?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There isn't a blanket rule on it. It would entirely depend on the specific circumstances.

      Someone with a propensity for committing serious offences would not be allowed in, whereas someone with minor offences from years ago would probably be okay.

      Delete
  7. How on earth do you regard yourself as a political party when I notice that the current four members are not voting the same way? That will make for a very destabilised party. You call yourselves a party but you don't vote consistently. You will need to pull your States Members into order.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I suspect you are very aware that what you are saying is completely wrong.

      We are voting together the vast majority of the time.

      Delete
  8. Go over EVERY single vote, there is marginally more than 50% of the times you have all voted the same way. That is very poor - why aren't you keeping your party in line?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And how many of those votes were on important issues rather than just procedural votes?

      Come on, try a little better than this. Apart from having your facts wrong, your whole premise is flawed. Party members get free votes on issues that aren't important or when a member has an allowed exception.

      It might suit your agenda to suggest we are in disarray, but you'll find out by October just how wrong you are.

      Delete
  9. 'Party members get free votes on issues that aren't important or when a member has an allowed exception.'

    Could you please explain who or what dictates whether a vote is or isn't 'important', and how this is communicated to members so they are aware of whether the whip is in place ?

    Could you also please explain the term 'an allowed exception', and provide an example of one you would envisage ?

    Thanks


    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's normally obvious what an unimportant vote is when it comes up. Often it's procedural ones, or on issues that aren't very concerning to the bigger picture (i.e. a vote today we had on States Members parking wasn't important so some of us voted against and one abstained, no problem)

      There are hundreds of votes that happen in the States and a lot of them are on issues that we don't have any policy on, so members are free to vote however they like on it.

      An allowed exception would be the same it is for other parties, which is on issues of moral conscience (i.e. something of religious sensitivity). If we had a staunch catholic member who was very hard working and agreed with party values, we couldn't force them to vote for something on a topic like abortion that was against their religion, etc.

      Delete
  10. Thanks for that explanation. 'Importance' will obviously remain a subjective judgement, but I now understand the exception rule.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Will you be running a RJ candidate for Chief Minister at the next election? Also, who is the leader of RJ in the States - as the RJ Chairman are you the party leader in the States?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We won't be putting up enough candidates to win a majority, so there is no chance of a Reform Jersey Chief Minister after the next elections even if we win all of the seats we target, so there won't be a candidate.

      As there are only 4 of us in the States, none of us really act as a leader. We meet every week and every thing decided is by consensus.

      Delete
  12. But what about the others in the States - they may vote for a RJ candidate for Chief Minister? I don't think everyone will be running under a party as I suspect many also will choose to run as an independent....

    ReplyDelete
  13. Didn't respond to my comment above. Perhaps some independents in the States will vote for a RJ CoM candidate. It doesn't just have to be a makeup of party members - what if you never get enough party members in the States, but you end up with similarly aligned parties that may support a RJ CoM (a la Lib Democrats).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sorry, have been busy. I cannot see any chance of a Reform Jersey Chief Minister after the next election, so there will not be a candidate for the position.

      Delete
  14. Good to see you taking on the Establishment Deputy. Like UKIP having a good go as well. Hope you both succeed!

    Look forward to reading your manifesto when it comes to your principles supporting - Hoping you also the success that UKIP has had - clearly they are onto a winner. Will you be?

    ReplyDelete
  15. Deputy Mezec,

    What are your thoughts on the Plemont proposal in it's current form. Will Reform Jersey be supporting it?

    ReplyDelete
  16. Sorry - just read your tweet. I like the issue of the loan, however the only problem with that is it will get written off when the NTJ are unable to pay it (which they won't, as there financial accounts currently say their "finances are in a parlous state". - Auditors opinion!!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. All the more reason why it looks like nothing will happen.

      I've had some emails from them which show things are not good at all.

      Delete
  17. Interesting - good luck with it, I would rather money spent where it is needed for those deserving, rather than this. Don't get me wrong, I would be severely concerned if the proposal was hideous, but it is the best we could probably get, and besides, the developer is going to have tight restrictions on them to ensure there is adequate landscaping that is in keeping with the island. Giuven Sir Philip said only two years ago the property was worth £4million - why is the NTJ paying nearly double the amount? I bet the developer know he won't make anywhere near this amount if he built and sold the property - he is rubbing his hands in glee that this proposal gets passed. Why where the NTJ involved in discussions to buy the land when it involved taxpayers cash??? I can negotiate any price for something when someone else is stumping up the cash - some dirty trickery going on here. Sir Philip is pulling numbers out of thin air just to get his little hobby project passed. Please stop him. Interesting why him and Gorst don't abstain since they have an interest in the NTJ - they can effectively personally benefit given the NTJ and it's members obtain an asset paid for in large part by the States! OUR MONEY!

    ReplyDelete
  18. You may wish to consider the following points:
    1. Why propose to purchase when the planning department has ruled as part of the approval effectively gives the remaining part of the headland to the NTJ anyhow?
    2. If the NTJ are only stumping up half the cash - why not take the £2.5m they are using for Charing Cross and put it toward Plemont, and mortgage for the remainder (they like everyone should work within a budget, they are trying to have everything, when their finances don't actually allow them to - living beyond their means).
    3. The NTJ are a private organisation, representing not Jersey but the interests of its members.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Will Reform Jersey support the idea of fortnightly Chief Minister's Questions or not? Furthermore would they support them being televised rather than radio broadcasts to help increase interest in the currently unrepresentative and disinterested political apathy?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. In principle, I'm sure none of us would object to that.

      I'd be quite keen for States proceedings to be more accessible to islanders. Maybe have an iPlayer type system where you can watch back for up to a month or something.

      I would say though, be careful what you wish for. It would possibly lead to more grandstanding and playing to the gallery rather than serious politics. But then, there isn't much serious politics then anyway!

      Delete