Stuart Syvret
Stuart Syvret is a former Jersey politician. He held elected office as a member of the States Assembly from 1990 to 2010. From 1999 to 2007, Svyret had executive responsibilities first as president of the Health and Social Services Committee and, after the 2005 constitutional reforms, as Minister for Health and Social Services in the Council of Ministers. He was dismissed from ministerial office in September 2007 and returned to the backbenches until he was disqualified from membership of the States in April 2010 due to his absence from the island. He has been involved in a series of legal proceedings, as a defendant in a criminal prosecution in Jersey and as a claimant in judicial review and civil claims in Jersey and London.
He has been described by journalists as "the 'bete noire' of Jersey politics", a "self-taught intellectual", an "agitator", "critical of the finance industry", "one of the island's most outspoken senators" "a rarity, an anti-establishment Jersey politician", "a maverick politician" and having a "ludicrous vision of a corrupt state bent on limitless cover-ups, victimisation and systematic injustice".
Early life and education
Stuart Syvret was born in Jersey and educated at Halkett Place School, St Helier Boys School and Highlands College. He obtained City and Guilds Craft and Advanced Craft in carpentry and joinery and went on to become a Member of the Institute of Carpenters. He was a cabinet maker before entering politics.Electoral history
Deputy 1990–1993
Syvret was elected, at his third attempt, to the States of Jersey in 1990 for a three-year term as Deputy of Saint Helier District 3&4 as a member of the Jersey Green Party.Senator 1993–2010
Standing as an independent, Syvret was elected for a six-year term as Senator in 1993, coming second in the poll for six vacant seats with 14,388 votes. He was re-elected in 1999, coming top of poll with 15,212 votes, and in 2005.In accordance with the States of Jersey Law 2005, Syvret was disqualified from his senatorial seat in April 2010 due to 6 months' absence from the island. He had gone to live in London during his trial in Jersey for data protection and motoring offences.
Unsuccessful attempts at re-election
On his return from London in 2010, Syvret unsuccessfully fought a by-election in June 2010. He came second out of a field of nine candidates, polling 3,437 votes.He was a candidate for senator in the October 2011 elections. He failed to be elected, finishing seventh out of 13 candidates for four vacant seats with 6,402 votes.
Early years in the States assembly
During his first nine years as a States member, Syvret held various positions including chairing a committee on Freedom of Information and membership of the House Committee, Establishment Committee, Public Services, Legislation Committee, and Employment and Social Security Committee.Syvret voiced concerns over nuclear power production in France. He clashed with local trade unions when he campaigned against the renewal of a lease to Shell for its aviation fuel depot at Jersey Airport, in protest over the company's activities in Nigeria.
Svyret opposed proposals for the Limited Liability Partnerships Law 1997, which was sponsored by two UK accountants firms. During the debate, Syvret stated "Senator Jeune has, in his capacity as president of the Policy and Resources Committee, used his influence to speed up the Law Drafting process and get this matter brought through. He has spoken on this matter in the House and at Committee meetings, even though he has a financial interest in this matter". Reginald Jeune was a founding partner in one of Jersey's largest law firms Mourant, du Feu & Jeune. That firm was engaged by two accounting firms from the UK to assist them in getting this controversial law on the Statute book. Reginald Jeune had stood down as a partner for the law firm several years previously. It was not disputed that he was engaged as a consultant by the law firm, and continued to have an office and secretary in the firms headquarters. He claimed that he did not know that his law firm was acting for Price Waterhouse, that his position in the law firm was an honorary one, and that his office and secretarial support from that law firm were to assist him in his States work. These claims were never investigated. The Bailiff Sir Philip Bailhache, as presiding officer of the States assembly, subsequently wrote to Syvret, referring to the standing order which stated "No Member shall impute improper motives to any other Member", saying "you have not provided me with any evidence to justify those imputations", inviting Syvret to discuss the matter, and giving notice that matter would be put to the States assembly after the summer recess. At the States assembly on 3 September 1996, Syvret refused to withdraw his statement, and was not allowed to speak. Members voted by 36 to 3 in favour of the proposition "That Mr. Syvret be suspended from the service of the States until he has withdrawn, by notice in writing to the Greffier, his imputations of improper motives against Senator Jeune". In an interview shortly afterwards, Syvret told The Observer, "I was not allowed to defend myself. This is like something out of George Orwell's 1984.... I was not allowed to defend myself, to speak on my behalf". UK MP Austin Mitchell described the States of Jersey's conduct in the matter as that of a "legislature for hire" and he sponsored an early day motion in the UK Parliament critical of Syvret's suspension. The States of Jersey subsequently agreed to set up a committee of inquiry into procedural matters relating to the drafting of the legislation.
On 4 March 1997, Svyret returned to address the States Assembly and stated that he alleged only that Senator Jeune had breached Standing Orders 43 and 44 of the States of Jersey. As Syvret had not alleged improper motives against Senator Jeune he therefore could not withdraw an allegation which he had not made; Syvret left the States meeting and the States then resolved to censure him but to lift his suspension. In April 1998, Michael Beloff QC, sitting as a Commissioner of the Royal Court, struck out legal proceedings brought by Syvret challenging the legality of his suspension from the States assembly on the ground that the court had no jurisdiction over the legislature's internal procedures.
Committee president and Minister for Health and Social Services
From 1999 to 2005, Syvret was President of the Health and Social Services Committee in the committee-based system of administration that existed at that time.With the start of a new system of ministerial government in December 2005, Syvret was one of two candidates for the post of Chief Minister, along with Senator Frank Walker. In a secret ballot on 5 December 2005, the States' assembly elected Walker to be the first Chief Minister in Jersey history by 38 votes to Syvret's 14.
Syvret was, however, elected as Minister for Health and Social Services in the Council of Ministers. He was immediately faced with trying to resolve "a bitter dispute between nurses and health service management". In 2006, he proposed legislation to ban smoking in eating places and subsequently a ban on smoking in all enclosed workplaces. He opposed a policy for a new private hospital in St Helier. He was criticized by the Health and Social Services scrutiny panel for pressing ahead with plans to close two hospital wards and transfer patients to private care homes before the panel had completed its inquiry. He subsequently described the scrutiny report "a waste of time and money".
In October 2006, Syvret openly clashed with ministerial colleagues in a debate about whether to exempt food, medicine and other household necessities from the new General Sales Tax. In December 2006, he was reported to be disillusioned and considering stepping down from politics. Relations with ministerial colleagues continued to deteriorate: in February 2007, the Chief Minister called an emergency meeting of the full Council of Ministers to discuss an open letter Syvret had sent to a property developer who had proposed a private hospital in Jersey, in which Svyret had been critical of many aspects of government policy. The 3,000-word letter, which dealt with "environmental, taxation and social policies and the relationship between government and business", had initially been submitted to the Jersey Evening Post for publication "but rejected because editorially unacceptable conditions were attached"– though Syvret's letter was published in full by the JEP on 6 February 2007. On 8 February 2007, Walker and Syvret issued a joint statement that Syvret would be remaining a minister. The States Privileges and Procedure Committee commenced out an inquiry into whether Syvret had breached the code of conduct, prompting complaints about the way in which it was handling the case; Syvret walked out of the committee's private hearing, arguing that the proceedings were a breach of his human rights. On 2 March 2007, the committee cleared Syvret of breaching the members' code but the chairman of the committee instigated a debate in the States of Jersey assembly to express disapproval of Syvret's actions in relation to the open letter. Members voted 29 to 8 to censure his actions.
In July 2007, returning to the States assembly after a period of illness, Syvret – answering a question to him in his role as minister – made scathing criticisms of officials in the Children's Service and other agencies for "bitterly failing" vulnerable young people. A week later, the Council of Ministers announced three investigations into whether the States were failing to protect children from abuse and neglect.
The following day, Syvret faced calls for his resignation as minister from the chair of the Jersey Child Protection Committee, who alleged that Syvret had breached data protection law relating to a child abuse victim. Walker, the Chief Minister, also told Syvret to resign. In turn, Syvret dismissed the chair of the Jersey Child Protection Committee. In August 2007, Syvret's assistant minister resigned and relations between Syvret and senior officials were reported as being "at breaking point". Svyret wrote to 2,500 staff telling them they could "blow the whistle" on management anonymously. On 22 August, the Data Protection Commissioner determined that Syvret had broken data protection law by releasing "personal and highly sensitive information about a child who has been subjected to sexual abuse", a finding that Syvret rejected. The following day, the Council of Ministers announced that a former director of Devon County Social Services had been appointed to carry out a "wide ranging" inquiry into childcare and child protection in Jersey, which Syvret dismissed as having "absolutely no chance whatsoever of truly digging out and exposing all this issues".
On 12 September 2007, the States assembly held a six-hour debate on Chief Minister Frank Walker's proposition to dismiss Syvret from ministerial office, which Walker said was prompted solely by Syvret's "reprehensible behaviour in recent weeks". Members voted in favour of Syvret's dismissal by 35 to 15.