Tension 'likely' in new government - ex-chief

ShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleAmmar EbrahimJersey political reporter BBCFormer Chief Minister Kristina Moore said there will likely be arguments over costs and fundingThere will "likely" be tension in Lyndon Farnham's new government, according to Former Chief Minister Kristina Moore. Chief Minister Designate Farnham is due to nominate his ministerial team this week. He previously served as chief minister from 2024 until the election in June 2026 and was credited with bringing political stability. However, Moore, who was chief minister from July 2022 to 2024, when her government was brought down in a vote of no confidence, said she thought the challenge for Farnham this political term would be balancing ministers elected on wanting to cut costs and Senator Tom Binet who had previously called for more spending. Looking ahead to the challenges ahead for Farnham, Kristina Moore said: "There is likely to be quite a lot of tension." "You've got people who have run a strong campaign saying that costs need to be cut. "But, equally, you've got a very determined and strong character [Binet] who is claiming that more spending needs to go ahead, and so I think that we're likely to see some quite considerable clashes over the direction and the means with which some key pieces of work will be done." Binet served as health minister in the last political term and consistently pushed for more funding for health. When asked by the BBC on Friday if he was going to be health minister again, he said: "It looks that way. I don't see people queuing up for it." While the chief minister is due to nominate candidates for ministerial positions, the States Assembly is able to propose and choose different candidates. Moore explained: "We've heard consistently from him throughout the campaign that he feels our resources should be dedicated to spending rather than doing what we've been advised by the Fiscal Policy Panel, which is to boost our reserves so that they are strong for that potential rainy day. "And there are other senators who will say that there are other ways of achieving what they want for public services that isn't through additional spending." In a statement responding to Moore's comments, Binet said: "Whilst, by way of a campaign, I chose to restrict my activities to simply attending hustings. "I made it perfectly clear that we need to reduce day-to-day government spending, but increase investment in Jersey to make the island more attractive, for a variety of sound social and commercial reasons." Moore is not the only one who feels Farnham could be in for a challenging time when forming a ministerial team. The cost of living was a big talking point in the election and Patrick Lynch, the head of poverty charity Caritas Jersey, said Farnham should look to nominate ministers who had "compassion". Lynch explained: "We need people with compassion in the right ministries. We want someone with compassion, with empathy as the social security minister, which is one of the most important ministries. Someone who has compassion for people who are struggling." When asked if there were politicians he would be concerned to see in the social security role, Patrick Lynch mentioned two States members. He said: "The previous ministerial team before the vote of no confidence who published that a living wage was not desirable - that was quite offensive. "So Elaine Millar and Malcolm Ferey would be two people we wouldn't to see in that role." The BBC approached Senator Millar and Deputy Ferey for comment. Ferey said: "I have worked in the charitable sector and in roles where I have clearly demonstrated that I have an understanding and empathic nature in finding practical solutions to people's problems, and working with people from across the socio-economic spectrum to find ways forward together. "On the point concerning the living wage, this is an unfair mischaracterisation of that report. "Balancing the needs of low-paid workers and the challenges within the business community is always a tricky act, but it is one which we must achieve in the next assembly." Senator Millar said: "Mr Lynch's comments are highly misleading and misrepresent the position. "The relevant report did not say 'a living wage is undesirable'. "Those words are taken entirely out of context and from a much larger sentence and paragraph. "Deputy Ferey and I support the ongoing move to a living wage and the last government has done a great deal towards that transition." Follow BBC Jersey on X and Facebook. Send your story ideas to channel.islands@bbc.co.uk.

Tension 'likely' in new government - ex-chief

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