Note of discussion meeting on top issues for islanders

On 6 March the Policy Centre published a Policy Brief Top Issues for Islanders, which explained the importance of assessing the issues about which the public are concerned and presented the results of a survey commissioned by the Centre in January 2025. To discuss the results of the survey, a discussion meeting was held on 7 March. Dorothy Parker, Director of 4Insight, explained the methodology used in the survey, Sir Mark Boleat, the Centre’s Senior Adviser, summarised the results, and Deputy Elaine Millar, Minister for Treasury and Resources, and Deputy Catherine Curtis gave initial comments. There then followed an open discussion.

Summary of the results of the survey

• Properly structured research surveys are an effective way to understand people’s views on the major issues facing the Island.
• In a January 2024 survey, unprompted, the top issues were economic concerns (34%), housing (21%) and faith in government (12%).
• In the January 2025 survey, unprompted, the top issues were cost of living (29%), housing (17%), faith in government (9%) and population levels (9%). When asked about other issues the combined figures for most important/other issues were cost of living (64%), housing (59%), the hospital (51%), healthcare (49%) and faith in government (45%).
• Cost of living was significantly more important for respondents with dependent children than for those without and for those in the 35-54 age group than for those in the other age groups.
• For the under 35s housing was the most important prompted and unprompted issue and significantly more important than for other age groups.

Points made in discussion

• The 2024 survey did not tell the government anything it did not already know. The Government did not feel it was worth doing such a survey every year. Perhaps the best time for such surveys is at the beginning of a new government.
• There was little change between the views expressed in the 2024 and 2025 surveys.
• Jersey is a small island and politicians are continually in touch with the public so understand the issues.
• The government consults on specific issues.
• It is recognised that government consultations are useful but the response is generally not representative; polling can help to compensate for this.
• The Government and the Assembly also have to deal with many issues which would not show up in polling.
• The Jersey Opinions and Lifestyle Survey is robust and provides a huge amount of information including trends over many years.
• Polling usefully supplements other sources of information, particularly covering those who views would not otherwise be heard. The “town voice” is often not heard as well as the “country voice”.
• Although faith in government shows up as a major concern this is true in all jurisdictions. It is difficult to know what the exact concerns are and how to address them.
• The Government is addressing the major issues identified in the survey.
• On the issue of faith in the political system, there is a need for more training of politicians on ethical issues.
• Views on major issues are influenced by what politicians and the media say are major issues.
• It would be helpful to cross-tabulate some of the data. It would be useful to know whether those who considered population to be an issue considered it was too high or too low and how people's views on this related to their views on talent leaving the island.
• There is a role for different methods of gauging public opinion. Focus groups usefully complement more general polling.
• Government has been conscious that the views of young people in particular are not well heard.
• Perceptions can be very difficult to change. For example, rising population is still seen as a problem and there is still a tendency to equate elderly people with poor people even though surveys show that families with children are now more the group with the most difficulty in coping financial.
• Running a survey but not sharing the results and showing how it has influenced policy does not promote trust.
• On some issues, for example “red tape”, more detailed work is needed to identify the real issues. Too often people and businesses complain that they have no faith in government or they suffer with ret tape but cannot then explain why or give details.

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