States vote against financially supporting Jersey Reds

Ministers debated whether or not to fund the Jersey Reds for the rest of its 2023/2024 season

The States Assembly has voted against financially supporting the Jersey Reds for the rest of its season.

Members debated whether it should fund the rugby club after Deputy Lyndon Farnham called for continued subsidies.

The Championship winners ceased trading in September due to an investor pulling its funding, with high pressure put on the government to step in.

The chamber voted 13 for and 30 against with one abstention.

Deputy Sam Mezec supported the proposal subject to an amendment from his party, Reform Jersey.

That funding would have been conditional on a business case showing how the club benefits the island.

'Assets unclear'

Deputy Philip Bailhache said taxpayer money should not be used to help the professional sports team, the assets of which were "extremely unclear".

He added: "It amounts to many hundreds of thousands of pounds and we are being asked to commit that money to an insolvent company whose assets we are extremely unclear about."

Constable Deidre Mezbourian said she believed taxpayers had already given the club enough money.

"There were so many unanswered questions, there was so much uncertainty for me, that I find it very difficult to support this proposition," she said.

'Condemning the Reds'

In a statement, the Jersey Reds said its accounts were "up to date" and had been "consistently and openly shared with government ahead of them granting any tax deferrals, loans or grants".

It said the Economic Development Minister, deputy Kirsten Morel, had been the cause of its demise by "condemning the Reds to cease trading" as a result of what it considered to be poor communication over government funding decisions.

It also criticised deputy Lucy Stephenson, the politician responsible for sport, saying she had shown "little interest in interacting with what is the island's pre-eminent sports club, particularly where there was so much government financial involvement".

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