Paul Montague

The manifesto spans five broad policy areas: political reform, health, education, housing and the economy, including an openness to reducing deputy numbers or adopting a more executive form of government, and a commitment to 'start exploring a 0-15 corporate tax rate in collaboration with Jersey'. These represent a genuine stretch beyond maintenance of the status quo. The connecting vision, however, remains at the level of direction rather than a named reform programme, and the overall scope falls short of a comprehensive fiscal or constitutional package.

A small number of commitments carry specific detail: the Further Education campus is to be completed 'on time', the GST+ condition is stated precisely ('unless it has wider public support' and 'part of a broader, fairer tax strategy'), and a 0-15 corporate tax rate range is named. Most other pledges, including those on housing, teacher retention, primary school review and health, describe intentions without figures, timelines or named mechanisms, leaving the majority of the manifesto at the level of broad commitment.

The manifesto acknowledges that spending cuts alone will not resolve the public finances and supports tax base diversification, which reflects the structural fiscal position. The conditional stance on GST+, requiring public support and a broader strategy before implementation, is a position the manifesto states rather than a costed plan. The proposal to explore a corporate tax rate in collaboration with Jersey depends on an external partner and introduces uncertainty. No revenue source or saving is named for the spending commitments on education infrastructure, housing or health planning, leaving those pledges without a stated funding path.

The Scorecard records Montague as President of the Committee for Education, Sport and Culture. The education pledges, including completing the Further Education campus, supporting the Sixth Form Centre at La Mare, reviewing primary provision, raising aspirations in schools and improving teacher retention, are in the same subject area as that recorded role. The smartphone ban, housing pledges, tax and corporate rate proposals, political reform and health planning commitments fall outside that subject area and require a States majority of 20 of 38.

A notable portion of the text consists of statements of values and general intent, for example 'we can work together, take ownership of our problems and build a better tomorrow', 'Democracy only works when people feel heard and involved', and 'there are no easy answers; but we cannot delay'. These appear alongside more specific commitments, but the balance across the five sections tilts toward the directional, particularly in the health and housing sections where few sentences carry a concrete commitment.