New political movement launched in Jersey

A new political movement, Value Jersey, had its launch event at the Sundown Bar in St Helier

A new political movement - named Value Jersey - has been launched at an event in St Helier.

More than 100 people attended the event at the Sundown Bar on Wednesday evening and several speakers highlighted their personal motivations for joining the movement.

Philip Romeril, a businessman and one of the founders of Value Jersey, said the movement wanted to address how the "cost of living is crippling people's opportunity to love living in Jersey".

He said a manifesto for the movement would be published but he insisted Value Jersey was not a political party.

'Red tape'

Speakers at the launch criticised high government spending and the difficulty of doing business in the island.

Mr Romeril highlighted "over regulation and red tape" as problems in doing business in Jersey.

"The cost of doing business in Jersey now is really impacting the entrepreneurial spirit of the island," he said.

"That's something Jersey has had in spades and, at the moment, trying to get business done, even... social enterprises, is really difficult."

Philip Romeril, a founder of the movement, said Value Jersey wanted to tackle cost of living challenges

Mr Romeril insisted the movement was not a political party.

"We have no intention of being a political party," he said.

"It's a movement of change.

"We are bringing together a group of people using their expertise to create a really comprehensive manifesto which candidates at the next election can stand on and so the electorate will know what they are trying to do when they get in.

"We will endorse candidates if they sign up to our manifesto."

Gerald Voisin, a supporter of Value Jersey, said there was no appetite for new political parties

Gerald Voisin, owner of the Voisin department store and supporter of Value Jersey, said there was no appetite for a new political party.

"If someone wants to take these ideas forward and set up a party then that's entirely up to them," he said.

"The idea is we are going to look at policies that other people can use and debate.

"That's the really important thing about this, we want people to debate these issues and raise the profile of the importance of them to all people in the island."

Toby Clyde-Smith, a supporter of Value Jersey, admitted that it was "not that easy" to explain the movement.

"I don't think anyone is hiding from the fact [that] at the moment this is at conception," he said.

"This is the launch.

"We haven't created any policies. We are not looking to say these are the solutions of the future but what we want to do is collaborate with experts across the island."