What next for Reform Jersey after 10 years?

Reform Jersey members handing out leaflets to mark their ten year anniversary

The leader of Reform Jersey has said he is "absolutely certain" that his party will eventually lead a government in Jersey.

Deputy Sam Mézec's comments came as the party - set up in 2014 as an alternative to the centre right politics that had traditionally dominated government in Jersey - recently marked its 10th anniversary.

The left wing party had a very successful 2022 election when ten of its candidates where elected to the States Assembly.

The party holds three ministerial positions in government but some argue they may need to move more to the centre if they are to form a majority government.

Speaking at an event celebrating the party's anniversay, Mr Mézec said it had been founded in response to "vulnerable people having their support cut and working people having their jobs privatised".

Reflecting on a decade of the party, Mr Mézec said: “We’ve helped establish political consensus on political issues that previously were unthinkable, you wont find anyone today who properly disagrees with the living wage…and we’ve contributed significantly to vital pieces of equality legislation like same sex marriage."

Reform Jersey is the largest political party in the States Assembly but the chamber remains dominated by independent candidates.

Reform members hold ministerial roles in housing, education and social security but Mr Mézec said leading government was the ambition.

“With more Reform Jersey members we can eventually be in a position where we are completely setting the agenda," he said.

Deputy Sam Mézec says his party has contributed to improving equality

John Henwood, a political commentator, said Reform Jersey would have to make some changes to achieve that goal.

"Unless they shift and move more to the centre, I think they are not going to obtain a sufficient amount of the popular vote to form a government,” he said.

Mr Henwood added: "A lot of their domestic policies would not be appetising for the vast majority of the electorate."

John Henwood says Reform Jersey need to move to the centre if they want to lead a government

But those who have previously tried to set up political parties in Jersey said Reform Jersey's clear ideological position worked in its favour.

Political parties have often struggled in Jersey where voters have tended to vote more for independents.

In the 2022 election, four political parties put up candidates but Reform Jersey won by far the most seats, getting 10 deputies elected.

The Liberal Conservatives got two candidates elected, with the other two parties securing one seat each.

Susana Rowles who co-founded the centre right Liberal Conservative party, which she has since left, said wether you liked or loathed Reform Jersey, they were the "first political party to be successful".

She said: "They have parked their tanks very clearly on the left and they have that ability to command something that the other parties will always have to struggle for, within the centre right its quite hard to determine what you are."

Susana Rowles says Reform Jersey have been a very successful political party

Lindsay Ash, who was part of centre right party, Jersey Alliance, said there were too many centre right parties at the last election.

"What you need is one offering if you are going to do it, but the difficulty is that Reform built up their core support," he said.

"It’s very difficult for a party of the middle jersey if you like to build up a core support, because much of middle Jersey don’t like parties, they prefer individuals."

Mr Mézec said he did not agree his party would need to move to the centre to achieve his goal of forming a majority government as he did not believe Jersey was a Conservative island.

"I think most islanders are progressive leaning in some shape or form," he said.

"We’ve just had an electoral system that overemphasises the Conservative position in Jersey but party politics helps overturn that.”

With the next general election in the island set to be held in 2026, time will tell if the party can continue to improve its electoral position.