Chief Minister to attend Conservative Party conference

The Chief Minister, Senator Ian Gorst, will represent Jersey at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester from 29 September to 1 October 2013. He will be accompanied by the Treasury and Resources Minister, Senator Philip Ozouf.

 

As well as Conservative Party delegates, the conference will be attended by representatives from charities, the private sector, political organisations, and other jurisdictions.

 

Guernsey’s Deputy Chief Minister, Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq, will also attend the conference. Senator Gorst and Deputy Le Tocq will hold a number of joint meetings while at the conference, in line with the islands’ working practice of joined-up political engagement with other governments.

 

Senator Gorst said “It is important that the Government of Jersey is represented at major UK political events like the party conferences. Prime Minister Cameron’s recent remarks, emphasising that Jersey and the other Crown Dependencies are not tax havens, have set a particularly positive context for our attendance at the Conservative Party conference.

 

“Capital Economics’ report on Jersey has given us a strong story to tell about the Island’s contribution to the UK economy. We will be making sure that this message is heard during our meetings and in the many informal conversations that characterise the unique political environment of party conferences.”

 

The Minister for External Relations, Senator Sir Philip Bailhache, and Senator Ozouf, attended the Liberal Democrat Party conference in Glasgow from 15 to 17 September. Senator Ozouf attended the Labour Party conference earlier this week (23 to 24 September) in Brighton. This will be the third consecutive year that Jersey has attended UK party conferences, signifying the Island’s continued commitment to enhancing political engagement with the UK.