Latest news with #GuernseyVotes
ITV News
8 hours ago
- Politics
- ITV News
Government to ban children from using phones in all Jersey schools following ITV News investigation
Jersey's government will ban the use of mobile phones in all schools for students up to the end of Key Stage Four. A draft letter to parents and guardians, leaked to ITV Channel, reveals that from the start of the next academic year, all Government of Jersey schools and colleges will not allow pupils to use their phones at any time during the school day. The restriction covers break and lunchtimes and all students, up to and including Year 11. The new guidelines also say that schools "will not hesitate to contact police" if severe inappropriate content is accessed during school time. Parents are asked to "strongly consider your decision to buy a smartphone or give an old smartphone to your child". This follows an ITV Channel investigation into the impact of smartphones on young people, including an experiment where devices were taken from a group of students for two weeks. This new guidance sees Jersey go further than most countries around the world. Within the draft letter, parents and guardians are given the following advice: Not to send children to school with a smartphone. If you make the decision to give a smartphone to your child, ensure you have "control over its use" and that "you can access what your child is using it for". If you decide to send your child to school with a smartphone against government advice, regularly remind them that it should be left switched off and not carried around school. If a smartphone is found in use during the school day, the school is asked to take it from the student and keep it as per their policy. When a student evades policy to use a phone, they will be "dealt with according to school behaviour policy". If a student is seen with access to inappropriate sites and content, "We will not hesitate to involve the police, should it be of a severe nature". Emily Jennings from the campaign group Smartphone Free Childhood says: "So many parents have been sharing their concerns about seeing illegal and harmful content on peers' and other children's devices in school. "Having a smartphone-free school day just means kids will be free to learn without distraction and play and socialise in real life. Play is a fundamental part of child development. Without it, we just don't develop the skills of innovation, imagination and socialisation that we really need to see in adults in our society. "Many countries are looking into a social media ban for under-16-year-olds, and we are seeing more and more harmful and negative effects of the impact of social media on young people." Want the inside track on the key issues that will shape Guernsey's Election this June? Listen to Guernsey Votes, an ITV Channel podcast packed with expert guests, local insight and analysis you can trust...
ITV News
a day ago
- Politics
- ITV News
Guernsey Election 2025: Lindsay de Sausmarez tops Guernsey vote as Ferbrache misses out by 21 votes
The people of Guernsey have voted in their next set of 38 Deputies, with the previous Environment and Infrastructure President, Lindsay de Sausmarez, topping the poll. She received 10,721 votes, getting the backing of around 44% of those who cast their ballots. Speaking to ITV News shortly after the announcement, she said: "I'm still absolutely stunned, I have not managed to get my head around it yet. I wasn't expecting it at all. "My thoughts are all over the shop because I have not had a chance to really sit down and even have a look at who my colleagues are going to be. I know that we've lost some real talent from the Assembly, a lot of experience, and I'm sad to see some colleagues go. "But I think we have had some really strong new candidates come through, so I'm excited about what they can bring to the Assembly as well." Also in the top three, Yvonne Burford with 9,427 votes and Charles Parkinson receiving 9,294. Turnout was just over 72%, lower than last time but still high when compared to other elections across the British Isles. There were 116 rejected ballots, with 43 blank papers and 73 spoiled papers. 72.13% Turnout 19,686 Number of voters 116 Rejected ballots Former Chief Minister Peter Ferbrache, who was ousted from the top job in late 2023, stood for re-election but missed out by just 21 votes. The island's only political party, Forward Guernsey, put forward six candidates - three were elected, including former Chief Minister Gavin St Pier with 8,577 votes. There will be around a 50-50 split of new and returning Deputies, with 18 politicians re-elected and 20 who are not currently in the States. Just under a third of the successful candidates are women. The full list of 38 elected candidates is as follows: Lindsay de Sausmarez - 10,721 Yvonne Burford - 9,427 Charles Parkinson - 9,294 Steve Falla - 9,017 Paul Montague - 8,884 Sasha Kazantseva-Miller - 8,794 Gavin St Pier - 8,577 Tina Bury - 8,496 Jonathan Le Tocq - 8,002 Chris Blin - 7,664 George Oswald - 7,613 Marc Laine - 7,556 Aidan Matthews - 7,312 Marc Leadbeater - 7,292 Andy Cameron - 7,177 Sally Rochester - 7,119 Adrian Gabriel - 7,069 Lee Van Katwyk - 7,063 Liam McKenna - 7,040 Mark Helyar - 6,980 Steve Williams - 6,950 John Gollop - 6,860 David Goy - 6,703 Tom Rylatt - 6,689 Jennifer Strachan - 6,683 Simon Vermeulen - 6,228 Munazza Malik - 6,215 Jayne Ozanne - 6,197 Dr Andy Sloan - 6,081 Bruno Kay-Mouat - 6,051 Haley Camp - 5,886 Garry Collins - 5,876 Andrew Niles - 5,846 Rob Curgenven - 5,738 Neil Inder - 5,651 David Dorrity - 5,644 Rhona Humphreys - 5,630 Sarah Hansmann Rouxel - 5,458 Follow our live blog below: Want the inside track on the key issues that will shape Guernsey's Election this June? Listen to Guernsey Votes, an ITV Channel podcast packed with expert guests, local insight and analysis you can trust...
ITV News
13-06-2025
- Business
- ITV News
Guernsey's core government spending was £44 million in deficit in 2024
The States of Guernsey spent £44 million more on core day-to-day activities such as running public services and benefits than it made through income last year. That overspend includes a £22 million deficit in non-infrastructure projects such as IT changes and a £13 million deficit in social security funds. In better news, States' investments were collectively £130 million more valuable at the end of 2024 than 2023. However, this is a valuation rather than a guaranteed return and the funds remain invested in a portfolio that regularly changes value. Overall, the States ongoing financial position is an underlying annual deficit of around £56 million. Want the inside track on the key issues that will shape Guernsey's Election this June? Listen to Guernsey Votes, an ITV Channel podcast packed with expert guests, local insight and analysis you can trust... Guernsey's Chief Minister, Deputy Lyndon Trott, who is not standing in this month's election, says: "The States cannot continue to rely on reserves built up in the past to fund the services of today and tomorrow. "The new Assembly will need to immediately focus its attention on the issue of improving public finances. I cannot stress enough how important that is to the long-term prosperity of the island." The outgoing Vice President of Policy and Resources, Deputy Heidi Soulsby, adds: "We are not raising enough through taxes to fund the services our community relies on. "The value of investments is of course important ... but they don't impact the amount of money we have available to deliver public services and invest in much-needed infrastructure. "The decision for the next States will not be whether something needs to be done, but what should be done to balance the books."
ITV News
13-06-2025
- Health
- ITV News
Ambulance crew's 'neglect' and 'gross failure in basic care' caused man's death, inquest finds
A 39-year-old man died from a cardiac arrest due to "gross failure" and "neglect" by the ambulance crew sent to help him, an inquest has concluded. Coroner Bridget Dolan says Frazer Irvine, who lived in Jersey, would have survived if basic care had been provided, such as putting him in the recovery position. She explains: "The crew did nothing to adjust his position to one in which his airway would be protected, despite Frazer beginning to vomit." The Coroner adds that the advanced life support given to Mr Irvine by the crew after his cardiac arrest was "inadequate in a number of respects" and could have contributed to his death. The two medics involved, ambulance technician Tom Le Sauteur and paramedic John Sutherland, were found guilty of failing to provide adequate care to Mr Irvine under Jersey's Health and Safety Law last June. They were sentenced to a two-year conditional discharge and ordered to pay £500 each in court costs - both men ultimately resigned from the Ambulance Service at the start of this year. The Coroner states that on Friday 18 March 2022, Mr Irvine was "very drunk and had taken some prescription drugs when he called an ambulance asking for assistance". She says he met the two medics "with ambivalence and at times, verbal aggression". Mr Irvine then fell to the floor on the landing outside his flat but concerned that they could face further aggression, the Coroner explains the medics "conducted no physical observations of Frazer before police arrived". However, she adds: "Frazer's level of consciousness was deteriorating and there were clear signs that this was happening. "After the police crew arrived, there was no good reason that steps could not then have been taken to conduct observations ... Yet for at least 12 minutes he was still not placed in a recovery position and nothing was done by the ambulance crew to effectively assess and manage his airway." The Coroner concludes: "There was an unreasonable and protracted delay by the ambulance in providing basic care to him. "This was a gross failure on their part when the need of a patient in their care should have been obvious. "Had Frazer received the care that should have been provided to him ... he would not have suffered a cardiac arrest and he would not have died. His death was a result of neglect by the ambulance crew." Speaking earlier at the inquest, Mr Irvine's mother Linda said: "In those last moments ... I only hope he knew how much he was loved. "They say your legacy is what you leave in people. Frazer will never see his dreams come to fruition. "He was too big a personality to ever be forgotten. His passing has devastated our family, and he is missed every day." Want the inside track on the key issues that will shape Guernsey's Election this June? Listen to Guernsey Votes, an ITV Channel podcast packed with expert guests, local insight and analysis you can trust...
ITV News
12-06-2025
- Politics
- ITV News
Green space or primary school? Opinions divided on the future of the old Jersey Gas site
Channel Education Environment Opinions are divided on what should be done with the former Jersey Gas site in St Helier: a new school or an extended park. After years of discussions, St Helier Connétable Simon Crowcroft has lodged a proposition, urging politicians to reconsider building a new school in the space next to Millennium Town Park. Instead, he is fighting to extend the existing green area and says building would restrict the amount of space for public use. The Education Minister, Deputy Rob Ward, wants to close St Luke's and Springfield schools once this new one is up and running. Defending the current plans, Deputy Ward says: "This also comes with the old Springfield site becoming a park for that area, plus Les Bas Centre becoming a green space, so we are increasing those types of areas. "At the moment, those students at St Luke's and Springfield have no green space to run about in during their breaktimes, so every single day they miss out. "With a new school, they will have that. This is just as equally important for them." Deputy Ward adds: "Staff are having to work miracles every day with the facilities they have. This was agreed some years ago and should be in place by now, but we seem to be taking this for debate again. "I just want us to get on with building the new school, which has always been so needed." However, Connétable Crowcroft says this project would prevent his plan to expand Millennium Town Park. In his proposition, he says: "I make no bones about wanting the Assembly to reconsider the decision taken in the Bridging Island Plan... to build a new primary school on the only site which could ever be used to extend the Millennium Town Park. "I am passionate about parks, and my belief in their environmental, social, therapeutic and economic value to the whole community has only grown since the pandemic." He adds: "I am fighting so hard to get the park extended because you can build a new school, if you need to, somewhere else, but you can't extend the town park anywhere else but here." The earliest date politicians will debate Connétable Crowcroft's proposition is Tuesday 24 June. Sasha Gibb, who founded a local group to give the community a voice on how public space is used, adds: "97% of the kids are Springfield School already don't have outdoor green space of their own. The park is their greenspace, the park is their school, they are intertwined. "There is no reason why the solution should not embrace both, a fantastic school and a fantastic park, and I know that we can do that. "It is not about polarising and setting a political agenda against one another." Want the inside track on the issues that will shape Guernsey's Election this June? Listen to Guernsey Votes, an ITV Channel podcast packed with expert guests, local insight and analysis you can trust...
