News
Newsletter – May 2025
Contents
2026 election will be on Sunday 7 June
The States Assembly has voted to hold the 2026 election on Sunday June 7.
The proposition to do so was put forward without enthusiasm: “in the absence of firm evidence to the contrary and, given voter apathy to date, PPC considers that a move to a Sunday election should be trialled to see if it brings more people to the polls”. There is no evidence to support the notion that this will lead to higher turnout. The Policy Centre’s Research Paper Election Turnout in Jersey examines the evidence on why turnout is low and considers options for increasing turnout.
Read Election Turnout Research Paper
Inflation falls
Jersey’s Retail Prices Index increased by 2.3% in the year to March 2024, a reduction of 0.2 percentage points on the December 2024 figure (2.5%) and 3.4 percentage points on the March 2024 figure (5.7%). The Centre’s Policy brief Economic trends has been updated to include the inflation figures which were published on 25 April.
Birth rate continues to plummet
151 births were recorded in the first quarter of 2025, 13% lower than in the first quarter of 2024. By contrast, 256 deaths were recorded, an increase of 15% on a year earlier. Deaths exceeded births by 39 in 2022, 40 in 2023 and 161 in 2024. Based on the first quarter figure of 105, a reasonable estimate for 2025 is 300. The statistics are included in a new edition of the Centre’s Policy Brief Population Policy.
New Knowledge Centre paper on Jersey’s Heritage
On 17 April the Centre published a new Knowledge Centre paper – Jersey’s Heritage. The paper notes that Jersey’s heritage is shaped by its geography and history. It briefly describes all aspects of the Island’s heritage including political and legal systems, industries, culture, physical environment, language, culture and prominent people.
Referenda in small states
The Centre was represented at a conference on referenda in small states at Queen Mary College on 16 and 17 April. Some key points to come from the conference –
- Generally, the public are not interested in politics.
- It follows that referenda should be held only on major issues.
- The phrasing of the question significantly influences the result.
- The rules need to be clear at the outset.
Energy policy
On 22 April the States Assembly agreed “to request the Council of Ministers to develop, and before 31st December 2026 start implementing, an evidence-based energy strategy”. The Centre’s Policy Brief Energy policy explains all aspects of energy supply and consumption in the Island and analyses key policy issues.
Read Policy Brief Energy Policy
Policy Briefs updated
On 6 March the Government published business plans for some departments. A number of the Centre’s Policy Briefs, including those on education, environment and planning, international development, home affairs, health and social care, transport and economic policy have been updated to incorporate summaries of the business plans and other new information.
