A website that keeps tabs on whether States Members’ voting records are lining up with the promises they made when seeking to get elected has been launched.
Created by Will Walter, the founder and managing director of Bridgehead Communications, the Jersey States Member Scorecard follows the launch of the Guernsey Deputy Scorecard in August.
The website tracks every promise made in Jersey election manifestos against every recorded vote taken in the States Assembly, as well as every Member’s own attendance record.
In time, I’d like this to grow into a platform where politicians and the public on both islands can put their view on any policy question
Will Walter, creator of the Jersey States Member Scorecard and Guernsey Deputy Scorecard
A full leaderboard ranks all 49 Members by an accountability score built from promises kept, weighted against broken and mixed verdicts, plus Chamber attendance.
The evidence behind the verdicts, including media reports, Members’ public statements and official States and government publications, is listed on the website.
Any Member who thinks a verdict is wrong can challenge it and the challenge will appear on the page regardless of whether it changes the ruling.
Mr Walter said: “People trust their politicians less than they used to, and that isn’t unique to Jersey.”
He continued: “It’s the same story across most of the developed world. I don’t think complaining about it fixes anything.
“The real antidote to that disaffection is transparency. Show people exactly what was promised and exactly how it was voted on, and let them draw their own conclusions.”
In addition to the scorecard, each Member has a full profile, while other features on the website include a ‘Top of the Rocks’ section where votes can be cast for the best political soundbite of the term.
Mr Walter added: “I also want this read as an opportunity, not a threat.
“Most States Members do a lot of serious work that never makes a headline: reading a Budget line by line, sitting through a long debate, actually delivering on a manifesto promise nobody was watching.
“This gives them a place to put that record in front of people. If you kept your word, you should be able to point to a page that proves it.”
The website also has an interactive Budget tool that lets readers try to close the government’s own operating deficit themselves, as well as a media reach page tracking how the Assembly’s record is covered by the island’s press.
Mr Walter said: “In time, I’d like this to grow into a platform where politicians and the public on both islands can put their view on any policy question, whether that’s the best way to cut ambulance waiting times in Jersey or making the case that the whole scorecard is a dreadful idea, riddled with flaws.
“If someone genuinely believes that, they should be able to say so on the site itself.”
