Karen Wilson

Candidate for Deputy St. Clement

I’m Karen Wilson, your local candidate standing for Deputy in St. Clement. I’m a registered nurse and I have lived and worked in Jersey for four years. I adore this beautiful island with its unique culture and heritage. My partner Max and I are proud to call Jersey our home.  

I am standing for election because, like many of you, I am very worried by the way Jersey is being run. Our elected representatives are not in the driving seat. Huge decisions are being made without proper groundwork and oversight. For example, our new hospital is on track to cost more than than a major UK teaching hospital. How can this be?  

Anyone can see that our public services and living conditions are crumbling. The so-called ‘One Gov’ reforms of Charlie Parker have failed spectacularly. Huge amounts of money have been wasted rearranging the deck chairs, but no one has been held to account. Government Ministers are hiding behind their senior civil servants instead of directing them. We are rudderless in dangerous waters.  

Jersey deserves something different. It desperately needs Deputies and Ministers who know to lead and who care passionately about the quality of life on our Island. It needs Ministers who can work together for the common good.  

As a nurse with general and mental health experience I care deeply about good public services. My experience on the frontline has prepared me to lead collaboratively and compassionately in difficult times. As a former Director of Nursing I know how to manage large organisations and hold them to account. I have dealt with many politically challenging situations, without losing sight of the fact that it is people who matter.  

There are significant challenges ahead and Jersey will recover. ‘Something different’ means new people with new ideas, different kinds of experience and fresh perspectives. People who can think big and act local.  

In summary I will:  

  • Restore political control to Ministers and improve the accountability of the civil service 
  • Revitalise healthcare with facilities that are designed around what we need and can afford and bring the current level of spending under control 
  • Bring forward legislation that sets standards for quality of healthcare 
  • Tackle inequality in residency rights and create better conditions for people to build their lives in Jersey 
  • Improve productivity and customer care through investment in digital technology and the skills of islanders 
  • Invest in our most valuable asset – the people who live here – by improving wages, living conditions, support for small businesses and vital industries like hospitality and agriculture 
  • Develop a fairer approach to taxation 
  • Design inclusive and socially responsible policies that improve rights and reduce inequality and show care for our communities and environment 

We need capable representatives who can work together to produce a new vision for Jersey. We need leaders who can unleash the efforts and imagination of islanders. I have the energy, passion and track-record to make this happen. Please vote for me on Election Day. 

Names of Proposers and Seconders

  1. Maureen Olive Hamel
  2. Vincent James Obbard
  3. Robert Timothy Graham Pollard
  4. June Georgina Pollard
  5. Terence John Le Main
  6. Julie Robbins
  7. Darren Robbins
  8. Kim Pallot
  9. David Nigel Cole
  10. David Alfred Cadoret