It’s panto season which I presume explains Deputy Rob Ward’s recent comedy blog “The slow death of Opposition”, which argued that unlike in the good old days when Reform were in opposition, the opposition today is rubbish. Apparently, the problem is that members who are not in government have been known to talk to each other, to work together and support each other when they agree whilst respectfully disagreeing on other matters and yet stubbornly refuse to form a political party. Quite how this conduct – that the rest of the world might call “politics as usual” – signals the death of decent opposition in the Assembly is a mystery to all but Deputy Ward.
I tell you what though; I have received information that Deputy Ward himself is part of a new and as yet undeclared political group. Indeed, I believe that several other members of Reform Jersey (although intriguingly not all of them) are part of this shadowy new organisation, which has yet to register in the Royal Court as a new political party. I do know they have agreed a shared political programme. They have agreed to always support each other even though on the surface it looks like they are political enemies. Deputy Ward and his Reform Jersey colleagues have also agreed to drop some of their long held policies in order to be accepted into this new political group and to vote for things which a year ago they voted against. They are known to meet in private at an address in Union Street every Tuesday morning. I understand insiders call this new group “The Binet Way”, in tribute to its spiritual leader and the driving force behind what has become known as “Project Breakwind (or Project Passwater – my sources aren’t too clear on this one). But it also goes by the name of “the government”.
I said “comedy blog” when I began because 18 months ago Deputy Ward wrote a strangely similar blog titled “The slow death of a democratic assembly”, in which he argued that the then government was anti democratic because, and I quote:
“It seems that we have a form of collective responsibility within government where Ministers and Assistant Ministers will be expected to vote with the government. But who is making the decision over this vote? Who holds the non-party Whip? It seems that we have a form of collective responsibility within government where Ministers and Assistant Ministers will be expected to vote with the government. But who is making the decision over this vote? Who holds the non-party Whip?”
Well, quite. All of those questions might pertain to the current government. But Deputy Ward isn’t asking those questions this year, because he is in the government. This year, it is the opposition that is at fault. Is there some irony here, I wonder?
Still, it’s Christmas time, so why don’t we all just relax a little, live and let live, accept that we all do politics in slightly different ways, it doesn’t mean there’s some terrible plot against democracy or a corruption of the sacred principles of opposition; it’s just all of us doing the best we can.
Cheers, Rob!
Jonathan Renouf 2026 election campaign 