New chief minister set to be appointed in Jersey

Either Sam Mezec, Ian Gorst or Lyndon Farnham will become the next chief minister

Politicians are set to decide Jersey's new chief minister.

Deputies Lyndon Farnham, Sam Mezec, and Ian Gorst are vying to replace Deputy Kristina Moore - after she lost the vote of no confidence.

The assembly met at 09:30 GMT on Thursday, and each candidate will have 10 minutes to speak, followed by up to one hour of questions.

Candidates will have to leave the chamber when another is making their speech or answering questions.

If one candidate receives more than half the votes, they will become chief minister designate - if not, the two candidates with the highest votes will go through to a second round of voting.

The new chief minister designate will not begin the role immediately - they will have to have their chosen Council of Ministers approved first.

The three candidates are vying to replace Kristina Moore - the first ever Jersey Chief Minister to lose a vote of no confidence

Mr Gorst is the only candidate who has already been chief minister, running the assembly for two successive terms between 2011 and 2018.

Reform Jersey party leader Mr Mezec ran against Ms Moore in 2022, but it is the first time Mr Farnham has featured on the ballot paper.

There are only two political parties in the island: Reform Jersey, with 10 assembly members, and the Jersey Liberal Conservatives, with two assembly members. The other 37 politicians are independents.

Mr Mezec is the only candidate running as part of a party, and has said in the past that if elected, his members would take on ministerial roles.

Mr Gorst said ahead of the vote: "I think it's a close vote. I will make my case.

"I will do today what I always do, put Jersey first and I will seek to serve where I think my skills and talents can best serve this island."

Mr Farnham said: "I'm looking forward to a really good election, I hope it's over as quickly as possible."

He added: "Whatever happens I'm sure we're going to have a good government and move forward."

Mr Mezec said: "Now's the time for change.

"We're ready to serve and we'll do that in whatever capacity we can make the most positive difference."

Analysis by Freddie Miller, BBC Jersey political reporter

With three candidates seeking support from a divided assembly still reeling from the decision to bring down the government, few expect the first vote of the day to reveal an outright winner.

Many feel the second round picks of supporters of the deputy with the fewest votes from the first round will play a crucial role in determining who becomes the island's next political leader.

Such a situation could present difficulties for whoever succeeds, though.

It could cause some people to question the strength of their mandate to govern.

And it could force the new chief minister into making concessions he might have preferred, ideally, not to make.

That said, one of the few things all States members currently agree is that whoever wins, they will need to strike a balance - to seek to heal divisions, following months of unhappiness behind the scenes and last week's bruising vote of no confidence debate.

But many also agree that bringing opposing sides back together may prove to be easier said than done, and until a lasting consensus can be reached, some fear politicians' ability to respond to the biggest issues facing the island will be limited.

All three contenders want to build new health facilities across several sites, and all three said if elected - they would bring "change" to the council.

Mr Mezec said "following 18 months of dysfunctionality and inaction", he would deliver a government "the people of Jersey deserve".

His priorities included tackling the housing crisis, making "common sense proposals" to become a carbon neutral island, and restoring faith and confidence in the government.

He said he was "more collaborative than I think some people might have thought initially because I was in a party, but my party does work across the political spectrum with other members too".

Mr Farnham said he would work towards a "more affordable way of life" for islanders, prioritise healthcare, education and affordable housing.

He said he would do the opposite to Mr Gorst, who he said would only "reshuffle" the current Council of Ministers - whereas he said it would be "absolutely reasonable" for Reform Jersey members to hold seats in the council "should they wish to".

Mr Gorst said he would bring "experience and stability" for the next two-and-a-half years, and would continue Ms Moore's work to "support islanders" with the cost of living, address the housing crisis and encourage seasonal workers to the island.

He said the government needed to work together and not against each other.

"There are people on both sides saying that if A or B doesn't win, they won't work with the incoming chief minister, we cannot have that," he said.

Follow BBC Jersey on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook. Send your story ideas to [e-mail].