Deputy considers move to scrap Le Tocq by-election

There has been mounting public opposition against spending an estimated £200,000 on an island-wide vote to fill the 40th seat in the Assembly.

Deputy Marc Laine said on Friday that he was considering leading a proposal to cancel the by-election and leave the seat vacant.

‘I am canvassing to see if I could get a majority now we face these costs,’ he said.

He was one of only six deputies who dissented in July when the new States overturned the previous Assembly’s direction not to hold a by-election unless there were at least three vacancies.

The issue could potentially be revisited if an amendment was accepted to the proposition to approve Deputy Le Tocq’s resignation, which will go before the Assembly on Wednesday, following his guilty plea to a total of 15 charges of making, sending and possessing more than 2,400 indecent images of children.

Alternatively, a requete could be submitted or an amendment laid against a policy letter early in 2026, well ahead of the likely by-election date in the spring.

Another of the deputies who dissented in July, Mark Helyar, said on Friday that he feared the cost of a by-election could escalate far above what has been provisionally estimated by the States Assembly & Constitution Committee.

‘I wouldn’t be surprised if, when staff time is taken account of, the cost is more like £500,000 to £750,000 or even more,’ said Deputy Helyar.

But he was pessimistic about the Assembly overturning its previous decision that a by-election should be held even for a single vacancy.

‘I think it unlikely, given the current composition of the States, that a majority of members would vote to support any change,’ he said.

‘Strong arguments were made that a by-election is a waste of money, but these were all rejected, in my view around spurious arguments based on democratic ideals.

‘There is nothing democratically fair about wasting public money, which is what we are about to do.’

The four other deputies who supported the original unsuccessful move to scrap by-elections unless there were three vacancies were Charles Parkinson, Neil Inder, Steve Williams and Simon Vermeulen.

‘I think the States made a mistake, but I do not believe that reopening the debate would serve any purpose. We just have to live with the consequences,’ said Deputy Parkinson.

Deputy Inder said he would vote against detailed proposals for the by-election when Sacc presents them to the States in January or February.

Deputy Williams had not changed his mind but hoped it would not become a divisive issue.

‘I think it’s an unnecessary cost for the sake of one position. I think we could survive as an Assembly. I would vote like that again tomorrow, but I think it’s probably not worth having a fight over it. We have bigger issues to sort out,’ he said.

Deputy Vermeulen believed it would be ‘silly’ to go ahead with the by-election.

‘I think we have to consider the current situation and the likelihood of possibly other deputies needing to be replaced. I would be supportive of considering it for two or more,’ he said.

Sacc is considered unlikely to back any move to scrap the by-election, having so recently led opposition to the earlier move to raise the threshold for holding one to three vacancies.

• Proposed arrangements for the by-election did not appear on a schedule published late on Friday of items due to go to the States meeting which starts on 28 January. That would normally mean that the details of the by-election, including a date and budget, would not go to the States until the following meeting, which starts on 25 February.