A Fresh Look at Freight Charges - Part 2

Jersey could have adopted a proportional‑plus‑volume‑discount model because nothing in its freight system prevents it. The island’s supply chain is dominated by Ro‑Ro traffic, predictable supermarket flows, and a small number of high‑volume importers. 

These are exactly the conditions under which tiered commercial pricing works well. A structure that charges proportionally for lane‑metres while offering rebates for committed volumes is entirely compatible with Jersey’s vessels, ports, and operational patterns.

DFDS offers a broad freight network across northern Europe, with routes covering the North Sea, the Baltic, and Scandinavia. For frequent freight drivers, DFDS runs schemes such as the RoadKings Freight Drivers Club, which provide route‑based discounts and benefits linked to the number of crossings over a set period.

Commercial customers can obtain negotiated tariffs and make use of DFDS’s wider logistics and ferry network to coordinate movements across multiple regions. This makes DFDS a strong option for companies that value a single operator with extensive coverage and the ability to support regular, cross‑regional freight flows.

In other words, DFDS is fully accustomed to operating within a tiered, incentive‑based pricing framework.

So from a regulatory perspective, Jersey had several viable options. It could have required DFDS to publish a banded tariff, mandated a regulated framework for volume‑linked rebates, or allowed commercial contracts while ensuring oversight and transparency. All of these approaches are used in other Ro‑Ro markets, including those with similar scale and dependency profiles.

The island’s government opted instead for a single flat rate, prioritising simplicity and transparency over differentiated pricing, where a base rate would be published but discounted bands would be negotiated and commercially sensitive between parties.

The policy choice Jersey made was therefore not dictated by technical or commercial constraints. A hybrid model combining proportional charges with volume‑based incentives was entirely possible, entirely normal in the sector, and entirely within the government’s power to require. Jersey simply chose a different path.

Which is probably why Deputy Morel doesn't want too close a look at alternative paths he could have taken in negotiations. And why we have to pay the price - literally!

A Fresh Look at Freight Charges - Part 1

Condor has repeatedly stated that it did charge freight fees, but that for several years it absorbed significant cost increases rather than passing them on fully to customers. For example, in December 2023, Condor confirmed it would increase freight charges because it had been “subjected to significantly above‑inflation rises” in port costs and other fees, and could no longer absorb them. Condor’s CEO also said the company had absorbed cost increases for the past three years to minimise the impact on customers. Another report noted Condor had “no choice” but to increase freight costs by nearly 19% after absorbing rising prices for three years.

This last case came about partly because of Ports of Jersey having an above inflation rises in their charges. Specifically, Ports of Jersey announced an 11.1% rise in fees at the Harbour and Airport starting January 2024. It should be noted that they have also been giving above RPI increases for 2025 and 2026. The Deputy is silent on this and the effect this has on freight costs too!

Deputy Morel’s argument appears to be that under the previous tender arrangements, some freight‑related costs were not being fully covered by the structure of the contract, and he argues that Condor was absorbing more than it should have been, which he says put the company in a “financial predicament”. In other words, Morel is talking about under‑recovery of costs, not the absence of freight charges.

This differs from what Mark Cox , the chief executive of the Channel Islands Co-op is saying. They’re talking about different things. Mark Cox is saying the new structure increased costs because of port dues and flat‑rate charges. Morel is saying the old structure didn’t recover full freight costs, so Condor absorbed losses. Both can be true at the same time.

The bottom line is that Condor did charge freight fees and did raise them. Morel’s point is about structural under‑funding of freight operations under the old contract, not the absence of freight charges. He says that the new tender structure has made the real cost of freight more visible, but it has also made it more expensive!

But by imposing a single flat rate which the Deputy Morel (in drawing up the contract) made a non-negotiable part of the deal, the tender forced DFDS into a pricing structure that is unlike anything it uses elsewhere! That rigidity meant DFDS could not offer lower rates to supermarkets in exchange for guaranteed volume, nor could it reduce costs for small importers who use little deck space. The result was a system that lacked the natural stabilisers found in most freight markets.

So the solution chosen did not simply correct under‑recovery; it created a new structure that redistributed costs in a way that disproportionately affected consumers. Other options were possible, and I’ll look at those in the next blog.

So while it’s fair to say the decision was made with the intention of stabilising the freight operator’s finances, the practical effect was to raise the cost base for food and everyday goods in Jersey. That outcome should have been foreseeable by the Deputy, given how freight economics work and how other island systems structure their tariffs. Did he not do much homework on this, and model different options mathematically? We have not been told, and I suspect not! And when a politician has done the modelling, they usually say so and loudly because it strengthens their case. The silence here is telling.

In conclusion, the policy choice of a flat rate system had predictable economic consequences, and those consequences were inflationary for Jersey consumers. This should have been obvious. It was a good decision by the Deputy if there were not better alternatives – ones that DFDS uses elsewhere! So protest as he does, he is evading the core question: why doesn’t he mention those alternatives? And where is the mathematical modelling?

Next post I will look at alternatives to the tender structure, and why Kirsten Morel has saddled us with increased costs.

A Short Story: According to the Evidence

According to the Evidence

They called him “The Witness.” Real name: Clive. A retired electrician with a fondness for instant noodles and conspiracy forums. He wore a silver jumpsuit stitched with patches—“Galactic Ambassador,” “Certified Contactee,” and “Von Daniken Was Right.”

Every Thursday, Clive held court in the back room of the Dog & Drone pub, where he lectured on ancient astronauts and cosmic balls. “God is a spaceman,” he’d declare, pointing to grainy slides of Stonehenge, the Pyramids, and a suspiciously saucer-shaped pothole outside Swindon.

His followers—mostly bored retirees and one enthusiastic teenager named Darren—nodded solemnly. They’d memorized the creed:

"God flies in UFOs. His prophet is Von Daniken. The tombs and temples? Built by Them from There."

But one Thursday, a stranger arrived.

She wore tweed. Carried a clipboard. Introduced herself as Dr. Miriam Holt, archaeologist and fraud investigator.

“I’m here to audit your evidence,” she said, smiling politely.

Clive scoffed. “The truth is self-evident. Look at the angles! The alignments! The cosmic geometry!”

Dr. Holt did look. She examined his measuring rod—actually a curtain pole with stickers. She reviewed his “proofs”—mostly photocopies of 1970s paperbacks and blurry photos of rocks.

Then she asked questions.

“Why do none of your sources cite peer-reviewed studies?”

“Why does your ‘Cosmic Ball’ resemble a weather balloon from 1958?”

“Why does your ‘Superfreak the Saucerman’ sketch have the same face as your passport photo?”

Clive stammered. Darren looked uneasy.

Dr. Holt continued. “Stonehenge was built with antler picks and human sweat. The pyramids with ramps and thousands of workers. Your theory erases their ingenuity.”

“But the angles!” Clive protested. “The mystery!”

“Mystery isn’t proof,” she replied. “It’s marketing.”

She opened her laptop and showed them:

- A breakdown of Von Daniken’s claims, debunked by scholars.
- Satellite data disproving “alien landing sites.”
- A receipt from Clive’s online store: Galactic Truth Merch – £12.99 per ‘Certified Contactee’ badge.

The room fell silent.

Darren raised a hand. “So… God’s not a spaceman?”

Dr. Holt smiled gently. “God may be many things. But selling saucer-shaped theology with glitter and pseudoscience? That’s not divine. That’s deception.”

Clive deflated. His jumpsuit shimmered under the pub lights, suddenly less majestic.

According to the evidence, you see, this little world of ours—so small—was not visited by Them from There in a Cosmic Ball. It was built by people. With hands. With hope. With hard slog.

And the only thing truly alien was the idea that mystery must mean fraud.

The Sunday Archive: The Pilot, August 1997 - Part 9

The Sunday Archive: The Pilot, August 1997 - Part 9

Grouville and St Peter la Rocque

From
MICHAEL HALLIWELL 

Assistant Priest

WE have now been members of the family of God at Grouville for a whole year, and never could two people have been made to feel more welcome. This summer, for our annual holiday, we went to England for two family events, and in the course of our travels had a wonderful insight into the life of the wider family of the Church in Britain. We attended worship according to four different liturgies, the English Prayer Book and Alternative Service Book, the Welsh Prayer Book and that of the Scottish Episcopal Church.

All these books have an undeniable family likeness, but also qualities particular to each national Church. In them all we felt very much at home.

We worshipped with five communities; with the secular community of the Acorn Christian Healing Trust at Whitehill Chase, on a course for healing advisers, with that of Oxford University in the University Church to commemorate the life and work of a great theologian, with the Sisters of St Margaret in Aberdeen, continuing with greatly reduced numbers their work of prayer, Eucharist and caring in the world, with the Benedictine Community of Burford Priory commemorating their patron saint with dignity and solemnity, and with the Franciscan Community at Hilfield, keeping an open day for their hundreds of friends and associates. 

We worshipped quietly in Bangor Cathedral on a weeknight evening as the Welsh verger led us with real devotion and some difficulty through English Evensong, we worshipped splendidly one Sunday in St Asaph Cathedral as the choir led us through Howells' glorious setting of the Eucharist, we worshipped in the mists of Holy Island at Evensong at St Mary's as four Roman Catholic sisters, part of the welcome team, joined David Adam and his congregation in the daily round of prayer. We worshipped and prayed in Welsh and English parish churches where the congregations made us welcome and shared with us something of their story.

It was both an inspiration and a privilege to find oneself part of such a variegated and yet united family of God round the country. Everywhere we went, we were warmly welcomed. The church was alive and flourishing, although not crowded to the doors, yet intensely real and faithful. It was good to reflect that, here in Jersey and at Grouville, we were members of the same worldwide family, sharing the same faith, worship and sacraments.

On 3rd August the traditional Lammastide service will be celebrated at Les Pres Manor, at 10.30 am, and in the evening, at the Parish Church at 6.30 pm a special choral Evensong of thanksgiving will be celebrated to commemorate the long years of service rendered to church and community by our retiring Churchwarden, Alan Le Maistre. The annual Parish Fair will be held this year at Les Pres on Saturday 6th September. All, from far and near are, as ever, welcome.

St Andrews
From
REV JOHN DAVIES
'Ministre Temporare'

JOAN and I have received such a warm welcome from the people of St Andrew's, and many acts of kindness; they have made us so comfortable in the Vicarage.

Since our retirement, Joan and I have experienced almost more fun and enjoyment than we did in the full time ministry.

As I am on the Diocesan Register, I am busy on most Sundays in many and varied churches. In addition, we spent the better part of two years in Guernsey looking after four parishes in interregna. This is indeed the first time we have been privileged to serve in Jersey — and what a joy it is!

We visit enough parishes to have a fair idea of the "state of play" in the Church of England. There are some parishes where you see very few young people in the church's life. There are many other parishes with flourishing Sunday Schools, and much activity among young people.

As a bearded old man of 70, I tend to look upon families in the twenty to forty age group as young, quite apart from children and teenagers! The problem seems to be that we lose the young people in the mid to late teenage years, however geared up the Church is to youth groups and Sunday Schools.

It is in this area that I have been so impressed, with the church here. Today (6th July) the Youth Group and Senior Sunday School took a major part in the service, and it was obvious how talented and enthusiastic they are. Furthermore, this was the vital age group, so often noted for their absence from church. The great thing was that they were enjoying themselves, and making Christianity relevant and fresh for all of us. There are many different activities for all age groups at St Andrew, and we are thoroughly enjoying our time here.

HOLY BAPTISM. 29th June, Liam Andrew Harvey.

HOLY MATRIMONY. 28th June, Keith Webster and Elaine Frances Claxton.

Holy Trinity
From
TONY KEOGH Rector

Dear Friends,

To some people, August may seem to be a quiet time, a time for holidaying and relaxing, but to those who cater for our holidaymakers, it is an exhausting and hectic time. One of the joys of exercising a ministry in a holiday Island is the opportunity to meet those who come to worship with us whilst they are on holiday; some return year after year and become familiar faces and friends. The Visitors' Book has become a telling social document with names and home addresses of those visiting us from the mainland as well as from distant shores.

There are, of course, many beautiful places on the mainland but those visitors who come from less salubrious areas cannot understand why we do not jump up and down in a state of perpetual euphoria. We do so take it all for granted, but we cannot always live in a state of euphoria and August and holiday-time is a good opportunity to practise a little therapeutic idleness and find the time to stand and stare and wonder at the beauty of it all.

Such a feeling catches me unawares. One such occasion was last Monday when I was standing outside St Brelade' s Church Hall and looking down over a splendid Rolls Royce towards the even more beautiful church and seascape beyond. It took my breath away. The occasion was, of course, the licensing of the Reverend Noel Carter to the Parish of St Brelade. Welcome to you, Noel, and to your family, as you begin your ministry amongst us, we wish you a long and happy stay in St Brelade.

Whilst welcoming Noel and his family, may I take this opportunity to say farewell to Paul and Janet Wilkin and their children who will be leaving St Aubin-on-the-Hill for a parish in Essex. Thank you for all your hard work over the past four years, Paul, and every blessing in your new parish.

If you are on holiday, enjoy your break; if not, please look out for and look after our visitors.

Finally, may I thank everyone who has contributed to our Gift Day. If you still have not returned the Gift Day envelope, it is not too late to send it either to me or to any of the Church Officers.

CHILDREN'S SOCIETY. Many thanks to all those who helped to make the recent Country Fair at Le Carrefour such a success and special thanks to Jenny and Richard Le Sueur and their family who welcomed us into their home and garden. The final figure is not yet available.

FLOWERS. High Altar: 3rd, Mrs C Degnan; 10th, Mrs F Hodges; 17th, Mrs P Billington; 24th, Mrs Dingle; 31st, Mrs R Barthorp. Lady Chapel: 3rd, Mrs V Montgomery; 10th, Mrs K Gallichan; 17th, Mrs R Barthorp; 24th, Mrs J Powell; 31st, Mrs J-A Crawshay. War Memorial: 3rd, Mrs M Vautier; 10th, Mrs J Le Roy; 17th, Mrs K Le Feuvre; 24th, Mrs L Le Chevalier; 31st, Mrs E Gallichan.

HOLY BAPTISM. 29th June, Megan Hannah Clark; 6th July, Beth Charlotte Jesperisen.

HOLY MATRIMONY. 21st June, Mark Godel to Rachel Pozzi.

FUNERALS. 1st July, Mervyn Richard Frankel; 7th July, Frances Vautier (née Le Feuvre).

A Ramble in the Rain

A ramble through various songs, nursery rhyme, poems, movies, and a story for children. How many can you spot?

A Ramble in the Rain

I wandered lonely as a cloud,
But was Wordsworth so endowed,
With rainfall, such as we have seen?
At least it makes the plants so green!
But looking out at raindrops falling,
I though I’ll ramble in this telling,
So here’s some thoughts for the wet,
Sunshine will return, never fret;
I begin: They say rain, rain, go away,
And come again another day;
But so sadly this is not the case,
Now time to dry in caucus race,
Said the Dodo once to little Alice,
Before her trip to Buckingham Palace;
Pity the soldiers in bearskin caps,
If waterlogged they might collapse;
Changing guards in pavement puddle
Could get into a terrible muddle
But not as bad as Doctor Foster
A physician who went to Gloucester
Could you step in a puddle up to your middle,
Or is that a tall tale, or kind of riddle?
I think it was probably a deep pothole,
When out in the rain, he went for a stroll,
And ended with trousers full of mud!
But if rain you want, try Noah’s flood,
When it rained and rained so very long,
That Sacha Distell made of it a song,
About raindrops falling upon his head,
And caught a cold, and ended dead;
The Ten Acre wood turned into a lake:
That’s what happens, rain with no break;
Poor Piglet was nearly swept away,
But Winnie the Pooh saved the day;
Hurrah for a bear of very little brain:
Now out we go, I’m singing in the rain!

1986 - 40 years ago - February - Part 2

1986 - 40 years ago - February - Part 2

February 17-23

THE Swimarathon sets yet another record. Over 2,000 participants raise £53,875 for charity, most of the money being earmarked for intensive-care equipment for the General Hospital.

A young St Brelade couple celebrate the early arrival of a daughter. Rebecca Claire Fisher is safely delivered by her father, Mr Mark Fisher, before the ambulance arrives to take his wife, Mrs Caroline Fisher, to the Maternity Hospital.

Welfare critic Mr Alexander Robertson is ejected from the Town Hall when he tries to prevent the unopposed re-election of the Constable of St Helier, Mr Fred Clarke.

Senator John Le Marquand, the longest-serving Member of the States, is discharged from hospital after receiving six weeks of treatment for a rare virus disease.

The States approve in principle the law which actually authorises the building of a reservoir in Queen's Valley, but the small print of the legislation leads to yet more delays.

The Parish of St John seeks a third Centenier because of the pressure of work. Centenier Philip Rondel says that he is almost certain to quit when his present term of office ends if something is not done about the workload.

A seaman who dies on board a Libyan freighter sheltering in St Ouen's Bay is brought ashore by the St Helier lifeboat

An inquest into the death of Mr Joao Sapeta, the 32-year-old Portuguese waiter who was found on St Ouen's beach in January, reveals that he died of a fractured skull.

An increase in the allowances payable to Members of the States is approved by the Legislation Committee.

February 24 - March 2

AN 18-year-old youth, Darren Le Cocq, escapes from the Young Offenders' Centre at La Moye Prison, but is at large for only four hours before he is recaptured in St Lawrence.

Three inches of snow falls and disrupts flying at the Airport. The wintry conditions last only a day, however, before a thaw sets in.

Over 700 premises in town are without electricity for an hour when contractors working on a gas main in Conway Street damage a power cable.

Centenier Denis Langton, whose term of office is shortly to expire, describes the role of the Honorary Police in St Helier as "a never-ending paper chase".

One of the main submarine telephone cables linking the Channel Islands and the UK is severed. It is not known whether a ship's anchor is to blame but a cable ship leaves at once to make repairs.

Former coach dweller Mr Richard Manning is given time to obtain legal aid and the case which may result in his eviction from Westley Lodge, St Saviour, is adjourned.

Mr Billy Walker, the former heavyweight boxer, buys St Ouen's Rectory for more than £1/4 million.

Figures released by the Economic Adviser's office show that milk and fish cost more in Jersey than anywhere in the UK.

Applications are lodged with the Island Development Committee and the Licensing Bench for a new pub in Grenville Street.

Christianity in Action: Lesson 17: Self Sacrifice

Lesson 17: Self Sacrifice
By G.R. Balleine

[Warning: Balleine was writing in the 1920s and 1930s, and his views and language reflect many at that time. However, as a time capsule of the prevailing beliefs, this can be very useful for the historians of that period.]

LESSON FOR PALM SUNDAY.

PASSAGE TO BE READ : St. Luke xxiii. 33-47.
TEXT TO BE LEARNT " Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others " (Phil. ii. 4).
HYMNS : " There is a green hill " and " Ride on! ride on in majesty !" COLLECTS for Palm Sunday and Good Friday ( 1).

Aim : To arouse an enthusiasm for self-sacrifice.

I. PROPERTY SACRIFICED.

(a) We have been speaking about Self-control. But there is something finer, and that is Self-sacrifice. To-day we will adopt a very simple method. By stories of minor acts of Self-sacrifice, we will prepare the children's minds to appreciate the Supreme Sacrifice of Holy Week.

(b) A Japanese farmer lived on the top of a little hill near the sea. The village was at the foot of the hill by the seashore. One day there was an earthquake. They are so common in Japan that no one took much notice of it. The houses rocked, and then all was still again. But the farmer, watching from his doorway, saw that the sea was running back a long way from the land. He was old, and had seen this happen before, and knew what it meant. There was no time to run down the hill to warn the village of its danger. His voice was not nearly strong enough to carry so far. So he seized a torch, and set fire to his own rice stacks. They made a tremendous blaze. All the villagers came running up the hill to see the fire. Then the sea came rushing back in a tremendous wave. It dashed over the village ; it roared over the fields. But the people on the hill-top were saved. The old man had saved them by sacrificing his property.

II. ENJOYMENT SACRIFICED.

(a) We all know the story of Elizabeth's courtier, who, when Philip Sydney, Queen wounded at the Battle of Zutphen asked for some water to drink. When at last a water cup had been brought, he heard a dying trooper groan faintly. " Take it," he said," thy need is greater than mine."

(b) But have you heard of the soldier who gave up his water to a plant ? Early in the eighteenth century a tiny plant in a pot was handed to a French ensign to carry to the West Indies. It was a coffee plant from the East. If it arrived safely and flourished in its new home, it would bring trade and prosperity to all the islands. The sailing-boat which carried him was becalmed in mid-Atlantic. Every day the captain doled out a smaller and smaller ration of water. The ensign grew so thirsty that he longed to drink bucketfuls. But no ; he drank a tiny sip, and then poured the rest daily on his precious plant. He sacrificed himself, and endured thirst, in order to help others.

(c) A little cripple lives in a back street in Hoxton. Her mother is a cripple too, and her father is a drunkard. A lady from the Church visited her, and saw that what she needed was clean country air and clear country sunshine. All arrangements were made for her holiday, and then the child drew back. For long she would give no reason ; but at last she said, "When father gets drunk, he pitches into mother, and then I get in between." She sacrificed her holiday to protect her mother from her father's drunken blows.

III. LIFE SACRIFICED.

(a) During the Plague of London (1665) a box of cloth was sent from London to the Derbyshire village of Eyam (pronounced Eem). The plague broke out in the village. The Rector called the people together, and they pledged them-selves not to leave the village (though they were sorely tempted to fly), so that they should not carry the plague to other places. On Sundays they held their services not in church but in the open air, and the Rector encouraged them to be true to their pledge. Of the 350 people in the village 259 died in twelve months. The villagers sacrificed themselves for the sake of the rest of England.

(b) Plancus was a famous Roman in the days of Julius Cesar. One day he offended the Government, and was condemned to death. The officers came to arrest him, but he hid behind a sliding panel ; so they seized his slaves, and began to torture them to make them reveal his hiding place. The slaves loved him, and would not speak ; but he heard their groans, and slipped back the panel, and stepped out, and gave himself up. He faced death rather than allow his slaves to suffer torture.

(c) In the French fleet there is always a battleship called the D'Assas. It preserves the name of a young officer in the Seven Years' War (1760), who was taken prisoner by the Austrians. They were creeping forward through a wood to make a night attack. " Silence," they whispered, " or you are a dead man." " To arms," he shouted at the top of his voice, " here are the enemy." In a moment he was dead, but the camp was saved.

(d) Five men were trudging through a world of white. They had reached the South Pole, and were journeying home. Taking turns they harnessed themselves to the sledge that carried their tent and food. At night they put up the tent and slept. One day the biggest man of the party fell ill. His comrades put him on the sledge, and pulled him till he died. His weight slowed them down terribly. Winter was fast coming on. Every day the going was more difficult. Hundreds of miles of white wilderness still separated them from their ship. Every sixty-five miles a week's food was stacked ; but to reach it meant travelling over nine miles a day. Then another fell ill. He was attacked by frost-bite in his hands and feet. He slogged along as long as he could, but now they were only doing four miles a day. He knew he was keeping them back. One night he quietly said, " I am going outside." He walked out of the tent into a snowstorm, and never came back. He hoped that without him his three friends might win through to the next stack of food, which was still thirty-one miles away. Can you tell me his name ? In most classes one child will know of Captain Oates.

(e) One story more, the story of the man who died for Prince Charlie. We have learnt in history how Bonnie Prince Charlie, as the Scotch called him, came from France to Scotland to claim the throne for his father ; how his cause at first met with success, then with failure ; then was utterly crushed at the Battle of Culloden. For six months Prince Charlie wandered among the Scottish hills. Then one of his followers made it possible for him to escape. In build and face he was rather like the Prince. He got himself arrested by the soldiers. They carried him to London. For a fortnight the search ceased. The real Prince was able to slip out of the country, but his substitute was executed.

IV. THE SUPREME SACRIFICE.

(a) We have seen people sacrificing their property, their ease, even their lives for others. But this week commemorates the Greatest Sacrifice of all. We call it Holy Week, because it reminds us that Some One sacrificed His life for us.

(b) Think of what the journey up to Jerusalem meant. For three years Jesus had been hated by the Rulers. They were envious, because His teaching was so much nobler than theirs. They were ashamed, because His life made theirs look mean. He had hardly begun to teach, when " the Pharisees took counsel with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him " (St. Mark iii. 6).

(c) This did not matter so much, while the people were on Jesus' side. While He was popular, the rulers dared not touch Him. But there came a time when the people forsook Him. They were disappointed because He would not start a revolution. They found much of His teaching hard to understand. " Many of His disciples went back and walked no more with Him " (St. John vi. 66). Then Jesus realized that, if He went near Jerusalem, He would be put to death. " The Son of Man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and they shall condemn Him to death, and shall deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify."

(d) Three courses were now possible. He might drop His public ministry, and return to the carpenter's shop, and live in quiet obscurity.

(e) Or He might turn to the Gentiles. A Gentile ministry would have been delightful and easy. " If the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes " (St. Matt. xi. 21). But the Jews were the prepared people who alone knew enough to make good missionaries.

(f) The only other alternative was to come to Jerusalem in spite of His enemies. It meant death. But either of the other courses meant the failure of His work. He chose to die rather than allow His work to fail.

Ride on! ride on in majesty!
In lowly pomp ride on to die.

(g) The artist Stenburg had an order for a picture for a Church. He hired a gipsy girl to be a model of the Virgin standing by the Cross. She knew nothing of the Bible, and he had to explain what the picture represented. She listened, and then said, " You must love Him very much, when He has done all that for you." The words haunted him, until he became a real Christian.

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were an offering far too small ;
Love so amazing, so Divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

Mark Boleat on Election Challenges

I've been reading Mark Boleat's opinion piece in the JEP and this is a summary of part of what he says, with my comments.

The cost of living is expected to be a major issue in Jersey’s 2026 election. Surveys by the Policy Centre Jersey and Vote.je show that residents consistently rank it among their top concerns. However, Sir Mark argues that the real issue is not prices themselves but living standards - people’s ability to meet costs with their income. While costs have risen, real incomes in Jersey and the UK have barely grown for over 20 years, which is why households feel under pressure.

“The issue is not so much cost of living but rather living standards…”

This is a very succinct analysis but cost of living is important because higher inflation erodes the income of those on pensions, and eats away at their savings. In 2022, during the UK’s cost‑of‑living crisis, Major argued that without strong government support, the poorest households would be left “penniless” and could lose trust in the state. Pensioners, many of whom rely on fixed incomes, fall squarely within the group he was concerned about.

Major has also long emphasised that inflation erodes the real value of income and savings. As far back as his time as Chancellor in 1990, he described inflation as a direct threat to economic stability and to people’s ability to maintain their standard of living. For pensioners, this effect is particularly sharp: when prices rise faster than pensions, their purchasing power falls, and essentials such as heating, food, and rent become harder to afford. As a pensioner, I think this is important.

Jersey’s inflation closely follows the UK’s because the Island is tied to the British economy and monetary system. Jersey does not control its own interest rates, and its inflation rate has moved almost in parallel with the UK’s over recent years. Inflation rose sharply in 2022 but has since fallen, with forecasts suggesting a modest rise again in 2025–26.

“Statistics Jersey’s quarterly reports… show that they are closely correlated.”

Sir Mark stresses that government has limited ability to reduce the cost of living directly. Cutting GST or duties on alcohol, tobacco, and fuel would reduce prices temporarily but would create a £200 million gap in public finances, requiring tax rises elsewhere. Removing GST from food has been repeatedly rejected because it complicates the tax system and is less effective than targeted support. Jersey already provides direct help through the Community Cost Bonus.

“If these taxes were abolished… the £200 million hole… would need to be financed by tax increases.”

While Sir Mark emphasises that government has limited tools to reduce the cost of living directly, there are other avenues worth exploring beyond tax changes. One possibility is reducing the cost of imported goods through measures such as bulk‑freight coordination, shared logistics hubs, or streamlined port handling, all of which could lower the overheads that make Jersey’s food prices higher than the UK’s.

I do agree that removing GST from food would create a large gap needing a significant rise in GST. If GST were removed from food, the government would lose a substantial portion of the £132 million that GST currently raises, because food is one of the largest areas of household spending. 

To fill that gap, the overall GST rate would need to rise sharply—likely from 5% to somewhere in the region of 7–8% depending on how broad the exemption was and how consumer behaviour shifted. In other words, the tax would have to increase for everything else in order to compensate for removing it from food. 

 If government tried to compensate for the lost revenue by expanding household support, it would still need to raise substantial funds through higher GST on all other goods and services, meaning most households would end up paying more overall.

Housing is the biggest contributor to household costs, but its impact varies widely. Those with paid‑off mortgages or income‑support‑covered rents pay little, while private renters and recent buyers face the highest burdens. Mortgage rates in Jersey are about 1% higher than in the UK, meaning homeowners pay around 25% more in interest. Sir Mark suggests the government should investigate why this is the case and consider options - including the radical idea of government‑backed lending - to reduce the premium.

“Jersey home buyers are paying 25% more in mortgage interest…”

For renters, Sir Mark argues that rent controls are ineffective and risk reducing supply. Instead, Jersey should focus on increasing housing availability by reforming planning processes and allowing more flexible development - such as small units without parking - to meet the needs of younger residents.

“The solution is not rent controls… the concentration should be on increasing supply.”

Sir Mark is right that rent controls often backfire by reducing supply, but that doesn’t mean other interventions are irrelevant. Requiring a percentage of new developments to be affordable can help, though only if the targets are realistic enough not to stall projects; otherwise, supply shrinks and prices rise further. 

I am also concerned about a two‑tier island: encouraging small, parking‑free units risks creating a divide between those who can afford cars and those who cannot. 

 As for rent controls, there are places where they have helped in limited, carefully designed forms, such as stabilisation policies in Germany or parts of the US that cap the rate of increase rather than the rent itself, but even these work best in markets with strong, steady supply. The lesson from elsewhere is that rent controls can protect existing tenants in the short term, but they are never a substitute for building more homes, ensuring fair access to them, and designing policies that avoid deepening social divides.