Yes Campaign Launch

Vote for YES!
A campaign is launched today to show the benefit and necessity of the Parish Constable, and their integral role within the States.

A group of people from around the Island including both political and non-political representatives have emerged in order to coordinate a campaign for Islanders to vote ‘YES’ in the forthcoming referendum on the continuing role of the Constable within the States Assembly

Chaired by the Constable of St Brelade, Steve Pallett, the group will hold their Campaign Launch Meeting for supporters of the Constables in the Town Hall on Tuesday 9th September at 19:00.

On the importance of the Constable, Steve Pallett said that, “When I first stood for election in 2005 with a local political party, I was against the Constables having an automatic right to sit in the States once elected by parishioners, and fought a Constable election with their removal as part of my manifesto. However having seen first hand the representative work that the Constables do while serving as a Centenier and more recently in my first term as Constable of St.Brelade, the benefit of their maturity and sensibility within the Assembly, I have since changed my mind”.

The Vote for Yes team intend to hold public road shows around the Island prior to the Referendum which is being held on the same day as the General Election. The Road Shows will consist of a presentation followed by a Question and Answer session with a selected panel.

“We want the public to be aware that they are better off with their Constables in the States than they would be without them there” said Deputy Luce, another member of the Vote For Yes team. “Parish rates have remained steady for well over 10 years now, which is impressive when you compare it to benefits such as welfare that are now administered centrally.”

The campaign group as a whole are equally concerned by elements of the ‘Property Tax Review’ put forward by the Minister for Treasury and Resources and in particular Section 4 of the paper relating to ‘Modernising the basis for charging annual property taxes’, suggesting that the current rates system shows a ‘lack of transparency’ and ‘allows only a low level of revenue to be raised’, heightens fears that a centrally administered rates system is in the pipeline that could only mean higher rates bills for islanders and further centrally administered costs.

Members of the public who are supportive are being urged to attend the Launch Meeting, in order to learn more about the Campaign, and to hear from prominent Islanders who agree with the Constables maintaining their position in the States.