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After news broke that Lyndon Farnham will be Jersey’s next Chief Minister, scores of islanders and political watchers from afar took to social media to share their thoughts on the new leader – and couldn’t resist a few jokes about how Jersey and Guernsey are now led by men with the same name…
Deputy Farnham secured the top job yesterday after beating rivals Deputy Ian Gorst and Reform leader Sam Mézec.
Deputy Mézec dropped out of the race following the first round of voting, and his party’s 10 votes then went to Deputy Farnham in the record second, which was enough to beat Deputy Ian Gorst.
Reform Jersey’s Sam Mézec – whose party were said to be “entitled” to a seat at the table by the new Chief – was among the first to congratulate the new leader.
Huge congrats to @lyndonfarnham on his election as Chief Minister.
— Deputy Sam Mézec (@SamMezecJsy) January 25, 2024
I believe he won because he signaled to members that he wants to lead a genuinely inclusive government. We desperately need it.
That is why I was pleased to vote for him in the second round.
After Deputy Sam Mézec shared a photo on Twitter of his party eating lunch together after the States Sitting, Former Deputy Lindsay Ash joked that Deputy Farnham "picked up the tab" as a thank you for Refrom's support in the second round of voting.
I am guessing Farnham picked up the tab ….????????????????????
— LINDSAY ASH (@Getonthelash2) January 25, 2024
Many were very excited about the idea of a new, more “inclusive” government.
Others simply expressed that they felt Deputy Farnham was a better option than Deputy Ian Gorst, who was described by one Facebook commenter as “more of the same”. Another used the same phrase in relation to Deputy Farnham – but this time with “Moore”.
Jersey is screwed with this lackluster of choice. It’s Moore of the same #JerseyShambles
— The Iron Maw (@TheIronMaw) January 25, 2024
Retail guru Dr Tessa Hartmann CBE was enthusiastic about the new leader.
She described him as an “experienced and effective communicator whose vision for Jersey will stand us well locally and globally”.
Congratulations to @lyndonfarnham - an experienced and effective communicator whose vision for Jersey will stand us well locally and globally. Well done.
— Dr. Tessa Hartmann CBE (@TessaHartmann) January 25, 2024
Jersey Women For Politics were listening in to the Chief Minister voting session yesterday and said they felt Deputy Farnham was “less clear” on supporting the recommendations of the Violence Against Women report than the other candidates.
Others drew attention to Deputy Farnham’s leading role in the hospital project under the previous government led by John Le Fondré,
‘Private Jersey’ called the £800m Our Hospital plan a “debacle”, while Anita Rive and Alan Dodd drew attention to the money “wasted” on the shelved project.
Mr Dodd: “Don’t even get why he’s still in politics! All those wasted opportunities to build a hospital on other sites were discarded.”
More congratulatory comments came from across the water in Guernsey.
The island’s External Affairs Minister Jonathan Le Tocq was very positive indeed about the future.
Deputy Sasha Kazantseva-Miller also shared her well wishes.
Congratulations to Deputy Lyndon Farnham @lyndonfarnham on his election as the new Chief Minister of Jersey @StatesAssembly. Best wishes in his efforts to form a new Council of Ministers.
— Sasha Kazantseva-Miller (@sashakmiller) January 25, 2024
My congratulations to Deputy @lyndonfarnham on being elected Chief Minister of @GovJersey. Hoping now that after the political shifts in both islands we can get back to working together effectively for the good of both Bailiwicks.
— Jonathan Le Tocq ???????? (@letocq) January 25, 2024
Others made a point of how Guernsey and Jersey both now have a Chief Minister called Lyndon — with Deputy Lyndon Trott elected for his second shot at the state's top job last month, following a successful vote of no confidence.
And then came the quips...
On Twitter, one islander joked:
What do you call a couple of islands governed by Lyndons?
— Curly (@gibbonarms99) January 25, 2024
The lynes?
The Dons?
The Lyers?
Another islander added:
Its a double Lyndon !!
— Jim Perchard (@JLPerchard) January 25, 2024
Lyndon Trott in @Govgg & @lyndonfarnham @StatesAssembly
Congratulations to you Both !
Who da thought eh !
The founder of Grouville Repair Café Jennifer Bridge said on Twitter:
Anyone good at probability? What’s the probability of Guernsey and Jersey having a Chief Minister called Lyndon?
— Jennifer Bridge MBE (@JennBridge) January 25, 2024
An ITV reporter shared a video of Deputy Farnham speaking in the States Assembly in December the day after Guernsey's leader Lyndon Trott was elected, perhaps showing that he may have had a premonition about what was coming...
Lyndon Farnham, the man who would become Jersey’s next chief minister, speaking in December - the day after Guernsey’s leader Lyndon Trott was elected. Little did he know… pic.twitter.com/KdpsCJWg30
— Emma Volney (@emmavolney) January 25, 2024
Then the big man himself in Guernsey got involved... Well, sort of...
The anonymous satirical account under the pseudonym of "Chief Minister Lyndon Rott" joked:
Heartfelt pleas by the people of Jersey to install Lyndon as the next Chief Minister have been devastatingly misunderstood by their Government. Awkward.
— Chief Minister Lyndon Rott (@tothevale) January 25, 2024
The 'Lyndon Rott' - self describing as 'Chief Minister of Guernsey, Genius, Billionaire, Playboy, Philanthropist, Parody' - also shared:
Busy day. Just got off the phone to Lyndon Sunak, he was having a right whinge about Lyndon Biden and Lyndon Putin.
— Chief Minister Lyndon Rott (@tothevale) January 25, 2024
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