In brief: Reform Jersey has elected Deputies Lyndsay Feltham and Montfort Tadier as its first ever joint leaders, following a constitutional change approved at an extraordinary general meeting. The party has also elected 22-year-old Noah Jervis as its new chair, succeeding Helen Evans.
A New Chapter for Reform Jersey
Reform Jersey has made history of a sort, becoming the first party in the island to adopt a co-leadership model after members voted to change the party’s constitution at an extraordinary general meeting held in St Brelade on Monday evening. Deputies Lyndsay Feltham and Montfort Tadier were subsequently elected as the party’s first joint leaders, with leadership elections now set to take place every two years under the revised rules.
The move follows the departure of former leader Sam Mézec from the States Assembly. Bailiwick Express reports that Mézec lost his seat after standing for Senator in the June elections, leaving the party in need of new direction at the top.
Two Voices, One Movement
Deputy Tadier framed the co-leadership arrangement as a natural expression of the party’s broader philosophy. “It is important that the party is not seen as being about just one person,” he said. “Co-leadership will help us project what we have always been about, many voices in one movement, able to speak for what is becoming an increasingly vibrant and cosmopolitan island.”
Deputy Feltham echoed that sentiment, pointing to practical as well as ideological benefits. “The changes adopted last night are in line with our values as a progressive and democratic organisation,” she said. “As well as promoting greater diversity and inclusion, on a practical level, it allows us to be more productive and effective in delivering positive outcomes for the public we serve.”
Whether two leaders are twice as effective as one, or simply twice as many people in meetings, remains to be seen. What is clear is that Reform Jersey is betting that a shared model will broaden its appeal and spread the workload across a stronger bench of States Members.
Fresh Blood at the Top
Alongside the leadership changes, members unanimously elected 22-year-old Noah Jervis as the party’s new chair, taking over from Helen Evans, whom the party thanked for four years of service in the role. Deputy Tadier welcomed the appointment, saying Jervis “will bring a fresh perspective to the role of chair” and shares the party’s “strong passion for public engagement, especially among young people in Jersey.”
Jervis’s election at 22 is notable in a political landscape where youth engagement is frequently discussed but rarely rewarded with responsibility. Whether his appointment signals a genuine generational shift within Reform Jersey, or is more symbolic, will become clearer as the party prepares for the next electoral cycle.
Source: Bailiwick Express
