From Chris Fairbairn.
WITH the proceeds of a good Minquiers prawning tide simmering on the stove in a late summer that was slipping away faster than the JDA’s timetable to convince undecided voters in its sorry belief that it is Jersey’s leading political party, my mind turned to possibly more important matters, one of which was drawing up my own clutch of political winners in the forthcoming Senatorial elections.
Losing Uncle Frank Walker as Chief Minister, with his businesslike approach to matters, would open up a huge void which, in reality, would be difficult to fill. He has strongly led our Island through the challenging first years of ministerial government.
As I opened ‘The Post’ to get the low-down on the latest unsubstantiated attacks on the Attorney General and on our lovely Island by Jersey’s less than successful ex-‘Witchhunter General’ Lenny Harper, I agreed that Uncle Frank’s successor would have to be a very special person.
Now, with a plate of pink freshly cooked prawns on my knee and a slice or two of buttered Hovis (there are other breads available), my agile political mind trained over years of intensive study considered just how 21 Senatorial candidates might be expected to do in a political musical chairs.
Well, it’s fairly mathematical! Eight out of the 21 are already States Members with quite good track records, something the other 13 must have considered before they took the leap. Mind you, if they lose, the Deputies’ election offers them a second chance, but there again, there will be even more fish in the swim.
Let’s hope they will be more successful than the final fat prawn I was peeling. But for now, with a quick call to my favourite bookie up north, I placed a bet on the outcome in the hope of cleaning up on this election filter system. The odds were better than I had thought, so the word had already got out – stick with the devil you know. Well, in this case, anyway.
As the remains of my feed were put out for the birds (bin-liners now being as rare as an unpaid politician) and with an autumnal chill in the night air, I pondered the future of our lovely Island under possibly new and eager politicians.
Well, the possibility of things being changed by a new breed in a new House is low. So my advice to any would-be voter is, don’t believe a word, as an election promises rarely come true. And, more importantly, reuse your manifesto paper wisely.
Wise words, some may say, from someone who had just placed £3.25 on the outcome.
La Rougette,
Grande Route de la Côte,
St Clement.
