Jersey Small Society advert ruled 'misleading'

An advert by the Jersey Small Society has been ruled "misleading" by the Advertising Standards Agency.

The society called for government spending cuts in an advert in the Jersey Evening Post last summer.

"Save First, Tax Last" was the way for Jersey to "emerge successfully from the recession", the advert claimed.

Dr Cameron McPhail, a Jersey economist, challenged the facts presented by the society and complained to the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA).

The advertising watchdog said nine out of the 10 "facts" presented by the Small Society were matters of opinion and calling them facts indicated they had been proven.

It said statements such as "the proposals to make 10% savings by 2013 do not go far enough" and "most households have had to cut expenditure by a higher percentage than the States", were matters of opinion or conjecture.

However, the ASA accepted that "government spending has doubled over the last 10 years" was accurate.

In response to the watchdog's findings, Geoffrey Grime from the Jersey Small Society said Dr McPhail's complaint was a waste of time and it missed the bigger picture.