Accountant candidate wants closer eye on public purse

Wednesday 11 May 2022

A qualified accountant and Open University lecturer is standing for election with Reform Jersey in the district of St. Mary, St. Ouen and St. Peter.

Reform Jersey candidate Helen Evans, who grew up in Jersey and attended Beaulieu, is hoping to take one of four Deputy seats in the newly created ‘super-district’.

She is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and trained at the UK National Audit Office. 

French speaker Ms Evans gained international experience while working as an accountant for Moore Stephens in London, but returned to Jersey in 2018 to work at Ports of Jersey at the Airport.

She is also an Open University Associate Lecturer with more than 20 years’ experience, including in statistics and mathematics, and has an OU MSc in Development Management.

If elected, Ms Evans said she felt she would be “particularly well placed, on the basis of my experience in accountancy and audit in the UK and EU public sector, to play a part in ensuring the proper management of public money and the economy, efficiency and effectiveness of public spending.”

She said she was motivated to stand for election now, having observed “society become more unequal with a decline in social mobility.”

“As we emerge from the disruption of covid we have an opportunity to build a better society for the future - a more cohesive society in which people can flourish,” Ms Evans continued.

“We need to get away from decision-making based on short-term expediency and work together to make a fairer and more sustainable society.

“We must recognise the value of work that contributes to the common good and ensure people are fairly remunerated for their work.

“We have to make our public services fit for the twenty-first century, regaining people’s trust in public services where that has been lost.”

Party leader Sam Mézec said the party was committed to  “getting the best use out of taxpayers’ money” and “cut[ting] down on wasteful spending.”

“Helen’s professional background and skillset are ideal, and I have been very impressed by her ideas on how to improve the way government finances are managed,” he added.

Jersey's election is taking place in June 2022.