Stuart Syvret

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Stuart Syvret is a Jersey politician, who has served in the Senate since 1990 and as Minister for Health and Social Services from 2005-2007. He was dismissed from his ministership in September 2007 after criticisms over his claims that officials in Jersey had been covering up child abuse cases.

Stuart Syvret
Minister for Health and Social Services
In office
Dec 2005 – Sep 2007
Preceded by None
Constituency States Assembly
Majority unopposed
Senator
Incumbent
Assumed office 
Nov 1993
Constituency Jersey
Majority 10,000
Residence Saint Helier, Jersey

Contents

[edit] Biography

Stuart Syvret was educated at D'Hautree school, Jersey. [1]

[edit] Electoral History

[edit] Deputy

Senator Syvret was first elected, at the third attempt, to the States of Jersey in 1990 as Deputy of Saint Helier District 3&4 as a member of the Jersey Green Party.

[edit] Senator

He was elected as Senator in 1993 (second in poll with 14,388 votes) and re-elected in 1999 (top of poll with 15,212 votes) [2] and 2005 (top of poll with 15,131 votes)[3].

[edit] Election for Chief Minister

The first Chief Minister of Jersey was elected on 5 December 2005 following the Jersey elections, 2005. Two candidates were nominated on 1 December 2005:

In a secret ballot on Monday, 5 December 2005, the States of Jersey elected Senator Walker to be the first Chief Minister in Jersey history, receiving 38 votes to Senator Syvret's 14 votes of support.

As the longest-serving Senator in the States of Jersey since 2005 he is Father of the House.

[edit] Issues in the House

[edit] Limited Liability Partnerships

Senator Syvret first achieved popular support when he opposed the Limited Liability Partnerships Legislation which Price Waterhouse and Ernst & Young initiated.[4] Friend and UK MP Austin Mitchell, described the States of Jersey's conduct in the matter as that of a 'legislature for hire'. [5][6]

During the debate he complained about the conflict of interest Senator Reg Jeune had, due to being a partner in one of Jersey's largest legal firms, Mourant du Feu and Jeune.

Senator Syvret, made what was described at the time as an 'unparliamentary remark' about the conduct of Senator Jeune and was evicted from the Chamber. A series of legal cases were heard in the Jersey courts eventually leading to Senator Syvret being allowed to return without retracting the comment. [7]

[edit] Smoking in the Workplace

In 2006, Senator Syvret pushed through the reforms on Smoking in the Workplace developed initially by Paul Le Claire, saying it was government's repsonsibility to help give up once the ban was in place. [8]

[edit] Child Protection

Whilst Minister for Health and Social Services, Syvret expressed concerns above the level of child protection afforded in Jersey. In an e-mail about the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS), he stated "my initial response is to sack everyone who works there and close it down". [9] Subsequently, Frank Walker the Chief Minister, accused him of damaging Jersey's reputation by speaking to the media. [10]

The Jersey Child Protection Committee chairman Iris Le Feuvre, responding by alleging a breach of the Data Protection Law by the minister, relating to a child sex abuse victim, be investigated by the Data Protection Commissioner. Senator Syvret denied breaching the law. [9]

He further indicated that his investigations had been hampered by Ministerial colleagues and in response the Chief Minister asked him to resign. [11]

Public support for Senator Syvret was expressed [12] and he indicated that he would not step down but would face a vote of no confidence on 11th September 2007. Senator Walker won the vote of no confidence by 30 votes to 15 and Syvret was dismissed as a minister immediately and sent to the back-benches.

[edit] International Relations

In 2003 he won for the States of Jersey the right to debate any proposed 'stealth taxes' which the EU or UK might seek to impose.[13]

[edit] Attendance at British Irish Council Meetings

Senator Syvret attended the seventh meeting held in the Isle of Man[14] and the meeting of the 12 December 2005 [15].

[edit] Political Philosophy

[edit] Nuclear Power

Senator Syvret has long led the campaign against nuclear power in nearby Cotentin, France. [16]

[edit] Iraq War

Senator Syvret was reported as having called for Bush and Blair to be prosecuted for war crimes in Nov 2006. [17]

[edit] Inefficiency and bias in the States system

Senator Syvret wrote an open letter [18] to a Jersey business man in February 2007[19], published in the Jersey Evening Post which denounced the inefficiency of much of the States-system.

This led to concerns from a number of members who had been criticised but the Privileges and Procedures Committee concluded that he had not breached the code of conduct.[20]

Senator Syvret expressed concerns over the impartiality of John Boothman and his appropriateness as a member of the Statistics user group which lead to his resignation in August 2005. [21]

[edit] Support for other Members

In 2003, Senator Syvret proposed Ted Vibert in the Senatorial by election [22]

[edit] External Criticism

[edit] Tax Justice Network

On 10th April 2007 the Jersey Evening Post alleged that Senator Syvret had accused the Tax Justice Network of blackmailing him [23], Richard Murphy responded by illustrating regular correspondence that he had had with Senator Syvret and most Jersey politicians.[24]. Senator Syvret has complained to the police, and the matter is currently sub judice [25].

[edit] ATTAC Jersey and Jersey Democratic Alliance

Following the blackmail allegation, then the indiscreet manner in which Senator Syvret raised a furore over the allegedly deficient standard of care for mentally disabled children in Jersey, and then the resulting backlash from the civil service department and some of his fellow ministers, some members of ATTAC Jersey and the Jersey Democratic Alliance roundly criticised his conduct on the isthisjersey.com web forum, although neither organisation took an official line on the subject. Senator Syvret dismissed this as "a text-book Stalinist war amongst the Left, any issue can be used against your opponents".[26]

[edit] Footnotes and references

  1. ^ Elect Jersey 2005 - Independent Thinking - Stuart Syvret
  2. ^ Jersey Politics Page - election results archive
  3. ^ BBC - Jersey - About Jersey - Election Results Live
  4. ^ AABA
  5. ^ AABA
  6. ^ "Channel 4 News", 27 February 2008. 
  7. ^ Jersey Law | HORSFALL v. SINEL and SINEL AND MELIA (practising as PHILIP SINEL AND COMPANY) 12-February-1997
  8. ^ Articles:Listing Jersey
  9. ^ a b Walker, Frank, Chief Minister of Jersey (28 August 2007). Minister for Health and Social Services: Dismissal. States of Jersey.
  10. ^ Rayner, Gordon. "Jersey Chief Minister confronts abuse crisis", The Daily Telegraph, 26 February 2008. 
  11. ^ Minister Told to GoJersey Evening Post 30th July: retrieved 30th July 2007
  12. ^ Why Minister should not resign:Progress Jersey retrieved 30th July 2007
  13. ^ Jersey locals in revolt over bid to keep offshore status | Business | The Observer
  14. ^ Welcome to the British-Irish Council website
  15. ^ Welcome to the British-Irish Council website
  16. ^ BNFL Nuclear Ships Bound for France Through Irish Coastal Waters, Disregarding International Law and Concerns of Coastal Nations
  17. ^ Jersey minister wants Bush, Blair prosecuted for war crimes - Irna
  18. ^ http://visar.csustan.edu/aaba/Syvretletter.pdf
  19. ^ Tag Archive for stuartsyvret at 5tracks
  20. ^ Code of Conduct for Elected Members: Senator S. Syvret
  21. ^ http://www.gov.je/NR/rdonlyres/C675ED32-DEAF-487A-9A01-6B17D208DB00/0/JohnBoothmanresignAugust2005.doc
  22. ^ This is Jersey - Election 2003 - Senatorial By-election
  23. ^ Richard Murphy accused of blackmail | AccMan
  24. ^ Tax Research UK / Paranoia in Jersey
  25. ^ Blackmail allegations sub judice
  26. ^ Is this Jersey?'s response to Senator Syvret's child protection concerns

[edit] External links