Jersey States rejects citizenship test for non-British election candidates

Jersey States has rejected a citizenship test for non-British election candidates

Jersey's parliament has voted against a citizenship-style test that would have allowed non-British citizens to stand for election.

Under Jersey law, residents must currently hold British citizenship to stand in the States Assembly.

The "Life in Jersey" test would have removed this criteria for those who demonstrated sufficient knowledge of the island.

The proposition was defeated by default following a 22-22 tie in votes.

Earlier calls to strip British citizenship from the candidate criteria were rejected by the States Assembly in September.

The latest proposition from Deputy Inna Gardiner attempted to provide an "alternative option" to those who "might not want to apply for British citizenship", her report said.

Ms Gardiner said there were "many reasons" why someone might not want to apply for British citizenship, "not least because some countries do not allow dual citizenship".

'Superficially appealing'

The proposed test would have been modelled on the UK's citizenship exam, and included questions on Jersey's customs, traditions and day-to-day life.

Successful participants would also have been required to take an oath of allegiance to the island at the Royal Court.

Deputy Jess Perchard said the test would offer an "entry point" to politics for residents, "regardless of their nationality".

Following her comments, Deputy Rob Ward said the proposition was "far from perfect" but hoped it would improve "diversity" within the Assembly.

However Deputy Montfort Tadier argued the concept was "completely flawed", stating it was simultaneously "superficially appealing and superficially abhorrent".

"The idea that we're going to put out a test that we've designed for people who have been living in Jersey perhaps 30, 40 years - what kind of message does that say to them?"

British citizens standing for election in 2022 will need to have lived in the island for five years following a ruling by the States Assembly in September.