Committee says election law needs 'tightening up'

The head of a committee which brings about changes to election law has said the findings of a recent report by international observers shows the law needs to be "tightened up".

Deputy Carina Alves, the head of the Privileges and Procedures Committee, said there were gaps in the law concerning political financing and political movements.

Alves was speaking after a report on Jersey's election by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA).

The CPA report recommended campaign finance rules be tightened up after concerns during the 2026 election about the role and funding of political movement Value Jersey.

Value Jersey launched as a political movement in October 2025, meaning it is not subject to the same election spending laws as a political party.

Despite not being a political party, Value Jersey published a manifesto which nine election candidates endorsed.

While candidates who endorsed the movement declared paying for a Value Jersey support package in their expenses, questions remained as to how much the movement paid political consultants the Messina Group for services in the election.

In an interview with the BBC, Alves said: "So I think the law needs to be tightened up around what constitutes a movement or a political party and we need to make sure that any spending is accounted for in the right way.

"I'm also hopeful that the report coming from the Jersey Electoral Authority will be able to give us some better ideas, and maybe some examples, of where we can ensure that that legal framework is tightened up and that we don't experience something like this again in the next election."

Alves said she had proposed a subcommittee be formed to look at the CPA's recommendations and those which would come from the Jersey Election Authority's report, due to be published before December.

She said: "That subcommittee can be made up of members from across the assembly, and they'll be able to work through those recommendations and just make sure that everything is done in good time and in good order."

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