In Jersey, it is sensible to be a sheep!
Ben Shenton
Westminster Asset Management / Age Concern Jersey / JSPCA / Weekly commentator Jersey Evening Post
Edited and updated article published in the Jersey Evening Post 14th August 2024.
Accountability is the very heart of a democratic government. When a government becomes unaccountable it can have serious consequences for both it’s effectiveness and the trust of its citizens.
When it works it enables people to know how the Government is doing, and how to gain redress when things go wrong. It protects the public from politicians and officials abusing their power and cuts down on wrong-doing and injustice. In short it ensures ministers and civil servants are acting in the interests of the people they serve. Accountability is a part of good governance, and it can increase the trustworthiness and legitimacy of the government in the eyes of the public. In Jersey in 2024 accountability is almost non-existent.
This is very dangerous as in areas where accountability is weak, the risk of failure – whether financial mismanagement, the collapse of services, or chronic underperformance – increases. Over recent years several reports have documented failures that display the symptoms of weak accountability: a lack of clarity about who was responsible; a lack of consequences for poor performance; a lack of transparency and information; and, most tellingly, the same patterns of failure occurring repeatedly.
Ministers and civil servants often end up blaming each other when things go wrong. For example, no one has ever been held accountable for the hospital spending debacle – something which we are all paying for. Almost every single Government Department has skeletons in their cupboards, and this allows failings to repeat themselves across departments over time. This reflects poor governance and a lack of leadership in dealing with such weaknesses.
When complaints are upheld, the complainant could potentially be victimised, which is why very few people are willing to stick their head above the parapet in Jersey. In many industries there is just one employer, the States of Jersey, and if your career is in education, health, policing, marine, airports, etc it is not in your best interests to upset ‘big brother’ or the wrong people, for vendettas are rife. In Jersey it is better to be a sheep.
When a government lacks accountability it undermines the ability to serve the public effectively and erodes trust. Accountability starts at the top, not on the front line or at the bottom, and is the backbone of true democracy. ?If we don’t change we really are on the road to nowhere because those at the top in Jersey are not accountable.
Twice on Radio 4 this very morning I heard the phrase "Let us learn from this and move on". These are the words of people that are part of the cover-up, people who do not believe in accountability, people with low ethical standards. The first related to a murder of 3 innocent people where UK social services had failed. The second was the church, again in the UK, regarding an historic sexual abuse allegation and cover-up. When someone offers these words you should hold them in very little regard, for they are the problem and not part of the solution. Moving on does not hold those responsible for a failing to account.
Chartered Surveyor ( retired )
6 个月Gino Risoli’s mantra was always “ accountability’ and he was frequently and wrongly derided for it. One of the most insipid phrases ever created is “ lessons will be learned”: I was always taught that if you cock up you have to fess up and take the consequences or at least explain your actions.
Executive Chairman at TEAM Plc
6 个月Ben you have articulated the state of governance in Jersey public sector and assembly. The biggest threat is the not so distant election. There is only one organised political party. They vote as a block. Today an influential block. What if Jersey followed the UK and one block had an overwhelming majority. Accountability would necessarily become more remote. Investigation and findings nuanced by ideology. A sign of the times might appear in the proposed amendments to employment legislation. All proposed by an Employment Minister who has only ever been a civil servant and also president of Unite the trade union. No conflict then. Well I guess the government is the biggest employer now. We’ve seen the disruptive effects ideology has had on landlords of rental property. All proposed by ideology rather economic consideration. Decisions on wind farms and such like. Again ideology not substance. True debate becomes superfluous. Decisions become about PR and sticking on message. There is no such thing as public money. There is only tax payers money. There is no such thing as entitlement unless first someone has met an obligation. Is the public sector meeting obligations? That’s where you will find accountability.
Plant opp
6 个月Or it’s the jersey way ??
COO & CFO Global Retail + M&A Specialist MENSA
6 个月Ben, you have nailed it. Sadly pervasive - I am very interested in the human rationale aspect of such approaches.
Co-Chief Executive of Jersey Hospitality Association, Co-Founder of Delicious Jersey, Co-Founder and Director of BeServed Group, Father and Lucky Husband!
6 个月So very accurate.