EXPRESS OPINION: Power and Politics

Tuesday 10 November 2020

Today is about power.

You’ll hear the no confidence vote painted in a rainbow of other colours, but at its heart, power is where it’s at. Specifically, who is in control: the elected politicians or the appointed civil servants?

In the last twenty years, we have endured endless, brain-crumbling debates over the merits of one governmental structure over another – but each one always relies on the people, the specific personalities, within it. 

In the last three years, we have had a very powerful personality, Charlie Parker, at the helm of a very powerful structure; stripping away (for now) the recent row over second jobs, permissions and potential contractual pay-outs - the essential question for States Members today is whether they believe the current Chief Minister is able to maintain his power in those circumstances. 

Pictured: the row over Mr Parker's second job has led to today's debate over where power lies. 

To answer that question, the detail of what has happened in the last fortnight is important. Let’s get two attempts at deflection out of the way. Firstly, this is not all the fault of the media for misreporting. It is an important issue, clearly in the public interest, and splitting hairs over the difference between a “role” and a “job” is misleading.  

Secondly, it is not about unnamed and shadowy ‘dark forces’ who have manipulated this situation to suit their own political ends, as has been alleged. 

Yes, there are people with their own agendas who will try and exploit a very sensitive situation for their own purposes. It’s called…er…politics.

UPDATE: Charlie Parker will NOT receive his quallies or any additional pay-out after agreeing to step down as Gov CEO, it has been confirmed. More on Express...https://t.co/LrnviD0u5b

— Fiona Potigny (@fionapotigny) November 10, 2020

Once you blow those two wisps of smoke away, you are left with some key questions, which States Members will try and get answers to today. In chronological order: 

• why did the Chief Minister give his initial verbal approval for the CEO’s second job, and in what circumstances? Was he aware of the true time commitment, and the payment of salary to charity, when he said yes? Why did he not realise the sensitivity of that decision and refer it to the SEB?
• Who authorised the original media statement which wrongly stated that the Deputy Chief Minister had also authorised the second job? The Chief Minister has said it wasn’t him, or the Deputy Chief Minister. We are now two weeks into this issue, and we still don’t have an answer on a very simple administrative point. Why?
• Why did the States’ Employment Board (SEB), Mr Parker’s actual employer, give their retrospective approval so quickly, and before the Council of Ministers had decided the two jobs were “not compatible?” Once the SEB had done that – giving written approval from the employer, to the employee, for something to happen – the Council of Ministers was left powerless, and always at serious risk of a legal fight. It tied their hands. 

It is that third point which goes to the heart of the issue, and which States Members will want to examine, and see how it was connected to the carefully written exit letter from Mr Parker, and if it led to any early pay-out of his contractual rights. There was no mention of “resignation” there, but an agreement to stand down. 

On the subject of “power” there is one other sentence which deserves attention. After detailing his achievements, Mr Parker says to the Chief Minister: “I am tremendously proud to have worked with you, and led all of this (our emphasis) as Chief Executive.” He is clear on the relationship. 

Today’s vote has been coming for a while. If he wins, Senator Le Fondré’s position is strengthened and confirmed, probably all the way to the elections in 2022; if he loses, the island will have lost its two most senior leaders, at what’s been described at the tipping point in the re-emergence of covid-19. But it also has the chance for change, and to deal with this important issue of where power really lies.

By tonight, we’ll know the route Jersey must follow.