Alliance Party Hoping For 25 Election Candidates

Sir Mark Boleat - who wants to be Jersey's next Chief Minister - says his party is hoping to field around 25 candidates in June's election.

He's been chosen as the Alliance Party's candidate for the top job, should he win a seat in government.

Sir Mark was elected as party leader unopposed.

He's told Channel 103 that he'll probably stand in St Clement - and it's for people to judge if he's the right leader.

"I would expect it to be somewhere around 25 (candidates), but it partly depends on the way things go, whether we can attract enough people to stand as well.

We have already got a number of people who have indicated they will stand but haven't yet announced and over the next few weeks I am talking to a number of other people who I hope will join us as candidates.

Voters will know in the election, if they vote for Alliance candidates they will be voting for candidates who will support me as Chief Minister and for policies that will be clearly set out in our manifesto. That will give electors the choice they have not had in the past."

In his acceptance speech, Sir Mark said the possibility of Chief Minister 'excites and motivates me more than anything else I have ever done.'

He also spoke about the need to reform the machinery of government - a message he repeated to Channel 103.

"I think the machinery of government simply does not work.  We have seen delays in taking important decisions, far too much time wasted in debate, and although the policies that have been followed over the last few years, on the whole, have been just about right, implementation has been very poor - and I think we can improve that, and I think I can play a major part in doing that."

The Jersey Alliance Party is one of three new parties contesting June's election.

The Progress Party and Jersey Liberal Conservatives are the other two.

Reform Jersey will also be fielding candidates again.

Sir Mark says the Alliance Party will be looking forward, not backwards, at the election.

"We've already published one policy paper, we've got a few more coming out in the next few weeks - going well beyond the next couple of years, but what we want [to achieve] in the next 10-20 years.

Also, we'll be giving the electorate a team that we want to be in government - people vote not only on policies, they vote on people - and we think we can put forward a big slate of candidates - some people who are going to be really effective Ministers, others who simply want to play their part as members of the States Assembly."