Ministers spend £33k on media advice ahead of child abuse report

Wednesday 19 April 2017

It's emerged that Ministers have spent over £33,000 on 'strategic' media advice by a London-based agency, which counts former Downing Street spin doctor Alastair Campbell as an advisor, ahead of the publication of the Jersey Care Inquiry report.

A response to a written question to the Chief Minister by St Helier Deputy Russell Labey revealed that the Chief Minister, the Deputy Chief Minister, the Minister for Education and Minister for Home Affairs had all been advised by Portland Communications – a high level communications strategy agency for which former Conservative Party politician Michael Portillo is also an advisor.

The answer says that all have received “...strategic advice on matters where there is strong national or international interest,” mostly over the telephone, but they have also had coaching at Portland's London offices this year – usually when in the capital for other personal or official business.

The firm, which has previously advised Jersey on UK Party conferences and global transparency initiatives, is now being engaged to respond to the release of the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry – a delayed £23million report into allegations of historic child abuse in the Island.

"Most recently, this has included the provision of advice on how best to engage with the anticipated national and international interest in the report to be published this year by the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry. The aim is to improve upon the past handling of such matters by the Island and being fully open and informative in the public response."

The training has come at a cost of £33,500 from the Department for Community and Constitutional Affairs budget, which the Chief Minister argues will “enhance the provision of public information, including to the national and international media."

But in a follow-up question during yesterday's States Assembly, Deputy Labey suggested that the expenditure “might give rise to the suspicion of a party line being concocted."

Chief Minister Ian Gorst refuted the claims, however, stating that the training would not be a measure to help the States “explain [their] way out of their failures”, as suggested by Deputy Mike Higgins, but to ensure that they can communicate effectively at short notice in the minutes and hours following the report’s publication.

“It’s not about fear or spin,” Senator Gorst said. “We do have this duty of responsibility to then act upon what is recommended and to ensure that these failings do not happen again in future.”