P&R Face Vote Of No Confidence Today

Friday, 24 November 2023 06:46

Deputies re-order the agenda to ensure deputy Charles Parkinson's vote of no confidence is debated today (24 November).

The vote of no confidence was brought by deputy Parkinson in the aftermath of the second tax and spend debate in October.

P&R failed, for a second time this year, to get its policies agreed by the Assembly. These included a goods and services tax. This has proved to be politically unpopular amongst deputies and islanders.

In the hours after debate ended, P&R president Peter Ferbrache said it was time for an early election, as the current Assembly seemed unable to make difficult decisions. Deputy Carl Meerveld, who heads up the States Assembly and Constitution Committee, which is responsible for general elections, doubted whether this would be possible.

This prompted deputy Parkinson to seek support for a vote of no confidence. As the 2024 budget debate was the next meeting, the vote was unable to be held until that had been agreed. This happened late yesterday (23 November) with the budget passed as amended. It was these 21 amendments which saw debate overspill into a second sitting.

The agreed proposals will see increases in fuel and tobacco duties and property taxes, but Education's new campus at Les Ozouets remains unfunded, and a last-minute attempt to spend more than £20 million maintaining existing secondary and post-16 was thrown out.

Deputies decided last night to vote on whether to re-order the remaining agenda to ensure the vote of no confidence vote was held before scheduled business. The debate will open this morning, at 09.30.