Deputy Shona Pitman of Jersey sent me her summary of her first year as an elected politician in Jersey shortly before Christmas. I am aware I was a number of recipients of this document after she had been rebuffed by the Jersey Evening Post, a rebuff they have now remedied having realised that Shona would get the publicity she sought for her views one way or the other.
I admire Shona’s courage. She’s the youngest member of the States. She’s asking difficult questions rather than seeking to follow official doctrine in pursuit of a career. She questions what is happening, without damning anyone (although she’s clearly unhappy with the Jersey political elite, and gives good reasons for being so).
She asks questions which I welcome, without necessarily endorsing the answers I would provide. In summary, she calls for wider debate and a recognition by the Jersey establishment that they do not have all the answers, and that to ask questions is not treasonous. That has to be welcome. I hope that might set a tone for debate on the future of Jersey for the coming year.
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