| Cabinet Name: | Council of Ministers |
| Flag Border: | false |
| Incumbent: | Government of Jersey |
| Date Formed: | December 2005 |
| Government Head Title: | Chief Minister |
| Government Head: | Lyndon Farnham |
| Deputy Government Head Title: | Deputy Chief Minister |
| Deputy Government Head: | Kirsten Morel |
| Other Government Minister Title: | Assistant Chief Minister |
| Other Government Minister: | Alex Curtis |
| Current Number: | 12 |
| Political Parties: | Independents |
| Election: | 2005, 2008, 2011, 2014, 2018, 2022 |
| Incoming Formation: | Appointed by the States Assembly or Chief Minister |
| Predecessor: | Committee system |
| Governor: | Sir Jerry Kyd |
| Governor Title: | Lieutenant Governor |
| State Head Title: | Monarch |
| State Head: | Charles III |
The Council of Ministers (French: Conseil des Ministres; label=[[Jèrriais]]|Conseil des Minnistre) is the collective decision-making body of the Government of Jersey,[1] formed by the Ministers of the States of Jersey and the Chief Minister.[2] The council co-ordinates policies and administration, especially policy affecting two or more ministers, prioritises executive and legislative proposals, and presents a "Strategic Plan for Jersey" for approval by the States Assembly.
The Government of Jersey is the executive and administrative arm of the States of Jersey and the identity used by the Council of Ministers for these purposes. All ministers in the council are appointed by, and must be, members of the States. The council does not represent a parliamentary majority as ministers may be elected on a variety of manifestos. The executive is prevented from constituting a majority of the 51 elected members by the States of Jersey Law 2005, which places a legal cap of 22 on the number of states' members who may hold office as chief minister, minister and assistant ministers.[3]
The first Council of Ministers was established in December 2005. Before then, the executive powers of the States of Jersey were managed by a committee-based system of States members.
The ministerial system of government in Jersey was established by the States of Jersey Law 2005. Part 4 establishes the role and election of Ministers.
There are at least 8 members of the Council - the Chief Minister and 7 other ministers.
The functions of the council is:
Ministers provide policy direction to Government officers, having given fair considering to those officers' informed and impartial advice.
The current council of Ministers was elected after Kristina Moore lost a vote of no confidence on 16 January 2024 by 27 votes to 22. The Chief Minister is now Lyndon Farnham who was elected on 25 January 2024.
The previous Council of Ministers was selected by the States Assembly on Monday 11 July 2022. All of the candidates nominated by newly-elected Chief Minister, Deputy Kristina Moore, were backed by States Members.[4]
Only the International Development Minister, Deputy Carolyn Labey, retained her role from the previous government. Deputy Ian Gorst, who served as External Relations Minister under John Le Fondré's premiership, kept his place on the Council of Ministers but in a new role overseeing the Treasury.
Deputies Kristina Moore and Philip Ozouf both returned to the government after a four-year absence, while six of the 2022 cohort of Ministers were new to politics.[5]
All of the Ministers and Assistant Ministers are independent politicians, apart from Assistant Social Security Minister, Deputy Malcolm Ferey, who is a member of the Jersey Liberal Conservatives.
| Ministers[6] | ||||
| Chief Minister | Deputy Kristina Moore | 2022–present | ||
| Deputy Chief MinisterMinister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture | Deputy Kirsten Morel | 2022–present | ||
| Minister for External Relations | Deputy Philip Ozouf | 2022–present | ||
| Minister for International Development | Deputy Carolyn Labey | 2018–present | ||
| Minister for Infrastructure | Deputy Tom Binet | 2022–present | ||
| Minister for Social Security Assistant Treasury and Resources Minister | Deputy Elaine Millar | 2022–present | ||
| Minister for Housing and Communities | Deputy David Warr | 2022–present | ||
| Minister for Home Affairs | Deputy Helen Miles | 2022–present | ||
| Minister for Treasury and Resources | Deputy Ian Gorst | 2022–present | ||
| Minister for Health and Social Services | Deputy Karen Wilson | 2022–present | ||
| Minister for Children and Education | Deputy Inna Gardiner | 2022–present | ||
| Minister for the Environment | Deputy Jonathan Renouf | 2022–present | ||
| Assistant Ministers | ||||
| Assistant Chief Minister | Connétable Andy Jehan | 2022–2023 | ||
| Assistant Chief Minister Assistant Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture Minister | Deputy Alex Curtis | 2022–present | ||
| Assistant Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture Minister | Deputy Lucy Stephenson | 2022–present | ||
| Assistant Children and Education Minister Assistant Treasury and Resources Minister | Connétable Richard Vibert | 2022–present | ||
| Assistant Children and Education Minister Assistant Home Affairs Minister | Deputy Louise Doublet | 2022–present | ||
| Assistant Environment Minister Assistant Home Affairs Minister | Deputy Hilary Jeune | 2022–present | ||
| Assistant Health and Social Services Minister | Deputy Rose Binet | 2022–present | ||
| Assistant Infrastructure Minister Assistant Treasury and Resources Minister | Deputy Steve Ahier | 2022–present | ||
| Assistant Social Security Minister | Deputy Malcolm Ferey | 2022–present | ||
The States Assembly elects a member for appointment as Chief Minister after every ordinary election of deputies and whenever the Chief Minister is not able to continue to fulfil their role. The Chief Minister, or any other States member, then may nominate members for appointment as Ministers. From those nominations, States members then elect members into each ministerial office. The Chief Minister or a Minister are in office until the next appointment to their role, or until they resign or are dismissed by the Chief Minister.
The States Assembly can hold a vote of no confidence in the Government and the Chief Minister, or any individual Minister. This happened in December 2020, when Senator Kristina Moore lodged a vote of no confidence in the Chief Minister over a controversy involving the Chief Executive of the Government, Charlie Parker. The proposition was lost 29 votes contre, 19 votes pour, with the Education Minister abstaining.[7]
The Chief Minister acts as president of the council and matters may be brought for discussion by any minister. The Chief Minister may not be a Minister or Assistant Minister.
The functions of the Chief Minister with regard to the council are:
Legally ultimate responsibility for the policy decisions of a department rest solely with the minister, however in practice matters are decided by a unanimous or majority vote of all the ministers.[8] The Council of Ministers may require an individual minister to follow directs if a policy falls within the functions of the council and is in the public interest.
The minutes of Council meetings are drawn up and kept by the Office of the Greffier of the States.
Jersey's first Ministers were appointed in 2005, with Frank Walker becoming the first Chief Minister of Jersey.
Only one of the ten ministers he nominated to join his Council of Ministers failed to be elected, Senator Len Norman, whose position was filled by Deputy Guy de Faye.
Elections for ministerial posts were held on 11 and 12 December 2008.[9] The nominees of the Chief Minister were successful with the exception of Senator Routier, proposed successively for Health and Social Services and Education, Sport and Culture. Three ministers subsequently resigned as ministers (but remained as States members) in the face of criticisms of their personal conduct: Senator Jim Perchard (2009), Deputy Terry Le Main (2010) and Deputy Sean Power (2011), triggering further elections. One minister, Senator Freddie Cohen, exchanged the role of Planning and Environment Minister for that of "foreign minister" in 2011.
Elections for ministerial posts were held on 17 and 18 November 2011. The chief minister's nominations were all contested; two of his nominations were defeated, and five ministerial posts were decided by margins of between 1 and 3 votes. The chief minister's nomination of Senator Ian Le Marquand to the Treasury was defeated, and so the chief minister amended his nomination for Home Affairs to retain Senator Le Marquand on the council, by withdrawing his nomination of Senator Lyndon Farnham. The chief minister's nomination of Connétable John Refault to Transport and Technical Services was defeated, with Deputy Kevin Lewis, a former Assistant Minister for Transport and Technical Services, being elected.[15]
Senator Ian Gorst
Senator Ian Gorst
The Council of Ministers saw a number of changes during John Le Fondré's time as Chief Minister. Of his 2018 picks,[16] several were no longer in office by the end of the electoral term.
| Ministers | |||
| Chief Minister | Senator John Le Fondré | 2018–2022 | |
| Deputy Chief Minister | Senator Tracey Vallois | 2018–2018 | |
| Deputy Chief Minister | Senator Lyndon Farnham | 2018–2022 | |
| Minister for Children & Housing | Senator Sam Mézec | 2018–2020 | |
| Minister for Children & Housing Minister for Children & Education | Deputy Jeremy Maçon | 2020–2021 | |
| Minister for Children & Education | Deputy Scott Wickenden | 2021-2022 | |
| Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture | Senator Lyndon Farnham | 2018–2022 | |
| Minister for Education | Senator Tracey Vallois | 2018–2021 | |
| Minister for the Environment | Deputy John Young | 2018–2022 | |
| Minister for External Relations | Senator Ian Gorst | 2018–2022 | |
| Minister for Infrastructure | Deputy Kevin Lewis | 2018–2022 | |
| Minister for International Development | Deputy Carolyn Labey | 2018–present | |
| Minister for Health and Social Services | Deputy Richard Renouf | 2018–2022 | |
| Minister for Home Affairs | Connétable Len Norman | 2018–2021 | |
| Minister for Home Affairs | Deputy Gregory Guida | 2021–2022 | |
| Minister for Housing and Communities | Deputy Russell Labey | 2021-2022 | |
| Minister for Social Security | Deputy Judy Martin | 2018–2022 | |
| Minister for Treasury and Resources | Deputy Susie Pinel | 2018–2022 | |
On 12 December 2018, Senator Tracey Vallois resigned as Deputy Chief Minister to focus on her Education portfolio.[18] She later resigned from her post as Minister for Education on 11 January 2021 following a disagreement with other Ministers over allowing students back to school during the COVID-19 pandemic.[19]
The Children & Housing Minister, Sam Mézec resigned from his post on 9 November 2020[20] to back a vote of no confidence against Senator Le Fondré.
Deputy Jeremy Maçon took over the role of Minister for Children and Housing, which was later renamed 'Minister for Children and Education' (combining Senators Mézec and Vallois' previous roles) while a new position of 'Minister for Housing and Communities' was created. Maçon was relieved of his ministerial duties by the Chief Minister on 24 March 2021[21] and formally resigned three months later.[22]
The Home Affairs Minister, Connetable Len Norman, died on 1 July 2021.[23] His Assistant Minister, Deputy Gregory Guida, took over as Minister for Home Affairs.
Assistant ministers
| Portfolio | Minister | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Assistant Minister for Treasury and Resources Assistant Minister for Home Affairs | Lindsey Ash[24] Deputy | ||
| Assistant Chief Minister Assistant Minister for External Relations and Financial Services | Richard Buchanan[25] Connétable | ||
| Assistant Minister for the Environment | Gregory Guida[26] Deputy | ||
| Assistant Chief Minister | Rowland Huelin[27] Deputy | ||
| Assistant Chief Minister | Carolyn Labey[28] Deputy | ||
| Assistant Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture | Kirsten Morel[29] Deputy | ||
| Assistant Minister for the Environment | Jess Perchard[30] Deputy | ||
| Assistant Minister for Health and Social ServicesAssistant Minister for Children and Education | Trevor Pointon[31] Deputy | ||
| Assistant Minister for Health and Social Services Assistant Minister for Infrastructure Assistant Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture | Hugh Raymond[32] Deputy | ||
| Assistant Minister for Children and Education | Richard Vibert[33] Connétable | ||
| Assistant Chief MinisterAssistant Minister for Social Security | Scott WickendenDeputy | ||
| Assistant Minister for Social SecurityAssistant Minister for Housing and Communities | Jeremy Maçon[34] Deputy | ||