Poll says Gorst should go

Wednesday 07 June 2017

An Express online poll has overwhelmingly backed moves to ‘sack’ the Chief Minister.

Almost 80% of the 520 who voted in the survey said it was time for Senator Ian Gorst to go.

St John Constable Chris Taylor is expected to lodge a vote of no confidence in the Island’s top politician later today, which means the States could be debating it later this month. He had been expected to lodge it yesterday but claims he “missed the deadline”.

Pictured: Almost 80% of those who voted in the poll supported plans to get rid of Senator Gorst as Chief Minister.

Constable Taylor says he – and many other politicians – have lost faith in Senator Gorst. They say he mishandled the hospital debate – first by dithering over where it should be built and then over how it should be funded, postponing a debate on the issue at the eleventh hour; that he’s failed to handle the fallout surrounding the mismanagement of the Island’s controversial innovation fund which has potentially cost the Island millions of pounds; and by reappointing the man many blame for the fiasco – Senator Philip Ozouf – as an Assistant Chief Minister.

Pictured: Constable Chris Taylor, who says it's time for Senator Gorst to go.

Senator Gorst is reported to be disappointed the vote is likely to go ahead but believes he’ll win it.

Senator Gorst topped the popular poll of 18 candidates when he was elected to the States for a second time as senator in 2014. There were eight places up for grabs. Senator Sir Philip Bailhache came second, and Senator Philip Ozouf just scrapped in. When he was first elected Chief Minister – States members not the public decide – on 14 November 2011, he beat Senator Sir Philip Bailhache by 27 votes to 24. On the second occasion, 3 November 2014, he was the only politician nominated for the job.

Under Standing Orders – the rules governing States’ business – a vote of no confidence has to be signed by at least three members of the States in addition to the proposer, and be accompanied by a report setting out why the proposer considers that it should be adopted. A simple majority is needed for it to be successful. In the past – under the committee system - if the person proposing the vote was successful they often took over the job. But no one has ever successfully unseated a Chief Minister.