Memories of Elections Past

Memories of Elections Past

States members tend to waffle on, but amidst all the dross is some genuine gold. In this case, a trip down memory lane with Russell Labey, during a debate on one of his propositions.

The proposition will soon be forgotten, but the historical ramble deserves to be preserved and hence is on this blog. Yes, it was a digression, but rather a good one, as he paints a vivid picture of elections in days long ago.

Our family were also supporters of Bernard Binnington. Born in 1930, Bernard's registration card shows that he was also present at the Chelsea Hotel during the Occupation.

I remember when he was standing as a mere Deputy in the 1970s. His election HQ was the Chelsea Hotel, owned by the three brothers Binnington, and now long demolished and replaced by Spectrum flats. The hotel was started by his grandmother and has been run by the family ever since. It is a hotel that opened at Easter, full, and closed in October, full, and then re-opened in January for the stamping of the car road tax documents.

Memories of Elections Past
By Russell Labey

I may have only been a politician for 3 years, but I have been involved in Jersey politics - and this is going to age me - for over 40 years, because my dad, Roy Labey, would invariably run the campaigns in Grouville for his chosen senatorial candidate and I, from a very early primary school age, would go and canvass with him.

I remember putting the leaflets through the doors; I can remember the colours of Bernard Binnington were yellow and green. I remember that because he supported him.

Then in my early teens I supported Corrie Stein when she stood for Deputy in Grouville. That was seismic. I remember I painted all her banners: “Vote Corrie Stein” and the colours there were pink and purple. I remember it as if it were yesterday.

That campaign was the first time I got my hands, or my seat, in the radio van and was able to use the megaphone going around the Parish encouraging people to vote. Members might be unsurprised to learn that I took that role like a duck to water. I have to say, I was quite good at it.

I was used by other people in subsequent campaigns around and about in the radio van with the megaphone, including the lovely late Anne Perchard in St. Martin, a very tight race. I remember going around the Montford Estate right up until polls were closing, trying to get people out to vote.

The next day I went to my school, Victoria College, and in my year, I suppose about 5 of us would have been up late that previous night in the whole year, 5 of us, most of us probably farmers’ sons.

I also remember vividly too the Channels T.V. (Television) debates, hustings debates, hosted originally by John Rothwell, before he became a Senator in this House, and then presided over by Alastair Layzell, both of whom were quite brilliant as inquisitors. They used to opt out of the network and have these debates among usually about 10 senatorial candidates and it could be make, or break.

People were broken in those, because they did not have answers to either Alastair Layzell or John Rothwell’s questions. I look back at all that and I ask myself: how have things got better now, where we are with the senatorial race, for example?

Of course things have, in some ways, the initiatives of the Greffe, the social media, et cetera. But in many ways they have not got better, they have got worse. We still have the Parish Hall hustings for the senatorial race and instead of the more manageable 10, maybe a dozen candidates, now you have got up to 28 and they are squeezed into those stages on the Parish Halls and they get to do 3 minutes, their first 3 minutes, many of them make the mistake and go through their past C.V. (curriculum vitae) for 3 minutes; big error, if I may give that tip to any prospective senatorial candidate: you want to give your vision for the future, no one is interested in your past.  Then they get to answer questions, if they are lucky, 3 questions per session, 2 minutes each.

Postscript

If Russell had checked regarding the 1948 elections, he would have seen that although there are complaints such as his nowadays about the large number of candidates standing for election as Senator, in 1948, at the first Senatorial election, there were 18 candidates nominated for 12 seats.

It is also notable that even back in 1948, there were at least two candidates who were prepared to stand as Senator without having prior experience of being in the States.

What is interesting is that not all of the 18 candidates turned up to each parish meeting, which would be almost unthinkable nowadays. At St John's Parish, for example, only 10 candidates addressed the public, in St Clements, only 11, and St Saviour, only 10 again.

Maybe that is something we need to revisit.