Proposal to swap two senators for extra deputies

St Helier constable Simon Crowcroft said there was a "democratic deficit" in the town

A St Helier politician has proposed giving the town two extra deputies in return for reducing the number of senators on the island by two.

Simon Crowcroft, constable of St Helier, said his proposed amendment would ensure fairer representation for people in the town compared to more rural areas.

The States Assembly voted in March to reintroduce the position of senator in 2026, with each electoral constituency losing one deputy in return.

However, Crowcroft said this meant there was now a "democratic deficit in St Helier", which had the fewest deputies and constables per 1,000 people.

St Helier North and South have the lowest number of deputies and constables per person, with one politician representing more than 3,300 people.

This compares to each politician representing fewer than 2,000 people for some rural constituencies, such as St Mary, St Ouen and St Peter, and neighbouring St John, St Lawrence and Trinity.

Crowcroft said his proposal to reduce the number of senators from nine to seven was "a simple step for us to take" to address the problem.

It would mean St Helier North had about 2,800 people for each deputy or constable, while St Helier South would have under 2,600.

Senators were politicians elected on an island-wide basis but the States Assembly voted in 2021 to remove the role to simplify the electoral system.