Constable Chris Taylor.
I was going to publish a Blog Posting on the subject of asking "How Tenable is the Position of St. John Constable Chris Taylor?" Regular readers will know that he (still) sits on the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and also sits on the Privileges and Procedures Committee. (PPC)
Recently the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry (IJCI) found that former Home Affairs Minister and current PAC Chairman Deputy Andrew Lewis lied, not only to the Care Inquiry but to the States Assembly. Indeed the IJCI found that Deputy Lewis told a number of lies.
The alleged lie that is being most reported is the one he told the States Assembly after he had (possibly illegally) suspended the Chief of Police Graham Power QPM. Deputy Lewis told the in-camera (secret) States debate:
Of course we now know that he didn't read a report from the Metropolitan Police (or so he says) and the report that the MET did publish wasn't alarming either. Deputy Lewis looks to have suspended the former Chief Police Officer on a pack of lies and to this day nobody knows why he did suspended the Chief Police Officer.
After the IJCI published its REPORT PPC looked into the conduct of Deputy Lewis and found that he had breached the Code of Conduct for elected Members. Subsequently a Vote of Censure was lodged against the Deputy by PPC, of which Constable Taylor is a signatory.
After the Vote of Censure was lodged and it became apparent that Deputy Lewis (still) wasn't going to do the honourable thing and step down as Chairman of PAC. Two Members (Constable Simon Crowcroft and Deputy Judy Martin) resigned from the committee apparently having lost confidence in its Chairman. This left only one States Member (besides the Chairman) on the Panel and that is/was Constable Chris Taylor. He has been reported as saying he will resign if Deputy Lewis is censured by the States. But not before?
In preparation for the Blog I intended publishing ("How Tenable is the Position of St. John Constable Chris Taylor?") I contacted (e-mails below) the Constable in the hope he would agree to an interview so that I could publish the most fair, balanced, and accurate Blog possible but what transpired was utterly bizarre and merited a Blog of its own.
E-mails between VFC and Constable Taylor.
Wednesday 23 August.
"Constable.
As it appears you still have confidence in your (PAC) Chairman. I am considering publishing a Blog questioning how tenable your own position is?
Would you be willing or available for an interview on this subject?
Kind Regards.
N.McMurray."
Didn’t get an acknowledgement/reply for 6 days so sent a polite reminder.
Tuesday 29 August. 12:41
"Constable.
Just a polite reminder that I am awaiting a reply to my previous e-mail and request for an interview?
Kind Regards.
N.McMurray."
Tuesday 29 August 12:58
"Dear Mr McMurray,
Thank you for your email but I do not partake in social media.
Yours sincerely,
Christopher Taylor"
Tuesday 29 August 13:21
"Constable.
Thank you for your reply and it is unfortunate that you do not partake in Social Media, in the 21st century, this is almost unheard of.
I want to publish a Blog questioning how tenable your position is by still having confidence in your PAC Chairman, Deputy Andrew Lewis, after you agree with the Care Inquiry report that he has told a number of lies, both to the States Assembly and the Care Inquiry and indeed the findings of PPC that he has breached the Code of Conduct for elected members. I will be asking exactly what does an elected member have to do in order for you to lose confidence in them?
A fair and balanced Blog article would hugely benefit with some input from yourself. If you don't feel comfortable being interviewed, perhaps you might consider an official comment that I could publish on the Blog as to why you haven't joined Constable Crowcroft and Deputy Judy Martin in resigning from PAC and why you still have confidence in the Chairman? Why you need to see if he survives a Vote of censure before you will act (or not) on what you already know?
Kind Regards.
N.McMurray."
Tuesday 29 August 2017 13:30
"Dear Mr McMurray,
Your statement second paragraph below is incorrect. It is precisely this type of misreporting that I do not wish to be involved in.
You say in your second paragraph “A fair and balanced article….” Well simply in cannot be either fair or balance if you start with a false statement.
Yours sincerely,
Christopher Taylor"
Tuesday 29 August 2017 13:42
"Constable.
You have made my point/argument for me. If you don't engage then false information can be published, this is exactly why I have contacted you in order to publish a fair and balanced article. If you don't tell your side of the story then the full facts can never get out.
If you could be specific as to what I have got wrong and tell me what you see to be more accurate then this will help a fair/balanced and accurate article being published. If you refuse to engage you can hardly blame me for publishing something that is not as factual as it might be. I am attempting to publish something factual and in order to do that I am seeking your input. I'm not sure what else I can do? Please tell me what is incorrect that I have written and I will seek to correct it before I publish it on my Blog?
Kind Regards.
N.McMurray"
Tuesday 29 August 2017 18:38
"Constable.
As things stand I find myself in a surreal, if not bizarre, situation. Firstly I have never credibly been accused of publishing anything that is not factual. Secondly I have never been accused of publishing something about somebody that is not factual and then have the person NOT tell me what the facts are.
I believe I have done everything in my power in order to get the facts, as you see them, and thus far you have not/will not supply me with those facts. Hopefully you WILL tell me where you believe I have been "incorrect" in order that a factual Blog will be published.
Naturally I will hold you responsible (to the readers) for any inaccuracies discussed (or not) in this e-mail chain. Indeed in order to demonstrate (to readers of the Blog) the lengths I have gone to in order to get a factual, fair, and balanced article together it might mean that I will have to publish this e-mail chain.
As mentioned in the first paragraph of this e-mail; this is an utterly bizarre situation and one that I have never had to deal with previously. If you believe I am going to publish something that is incorrect/not-factual about yourself, why wouldn't you want to make sure the facts are known beforehand?
I hope you will supply me with the facts as you see them and in the spirit of goodwill and an attempt to give you every opportunity to put right any "false facts" before they are published I'll hold back 24 hours before drafting/publishing the Blog Posting.
Kind Regards.
N.McMurray."
30 August 2017 08:27
"Dear Mr McMurray,
There are millions of “blogs” around the world, and from what I have seen many publish rubbish and untruths. I work between 70 and 80 hours a week as Connetable and States Member, doing my best to improve lives of Parishioners and Islanders. I do not have the time to go around correcting “blogs”. This is why I do not engage in social media.
I have told you that your statement is incorrect and it is your duty to ensure you publish the truth. If therefore you decide to publish, you will be doing so in the full knowledge that you are spreading lies.
I have said previously I do not partake in social media and so this subject is now closed.
Yours sincerely,
Christopher Taylor"
30August 2017 10:24
"Constable.
I am fairly certain, although there are millions of Blogs around the world, that they are not contacting you in order to put out a fair, balanced and accurate article. Indeed I would go as far as to say that I am probably the only one that has. I am not asking you to correct my Blog. You have told me that I have e-mailed you something that is incorrect but bizarrely you won't tell me what it is and further, you refuse to correct it before it's published.
I don't know what I have written that is incorrect, or a lie..........Only you do but you are keeping it a secret. As mentioned previously I have never in my life came across something so surreal or bizarre.
You wrote:
"I have told you that your statement is incorrect and it is your duty to ensure you publish the truth." I wholeheartedly agree with you that it is my duty to publish the truth. My problem is that the person (you) who seemingly knows the truth won't tell me it. Again I ask what am I supposed to do? I ask you for the truth and you won't tell it to me. What option have I got other than to publish the truth as I see it if the truth, as you see it, is being kept a secret?
Unless you supply me with your truth it is you who will be allowing something to be published in the full knowledge that lies are being spread.
I hope you will do what you can to help the truth get published.
N.McMurray."(END)
So as readers should be able to see I have done far more than I should be expected to do in order to publish a fair, balanced and accurate Blog Posting. Further if anybody has published/allowed to be published something "in the full knowledge that you are spreading lies" then the blame must be put at the door of Constable Taylor.
It is still a mystery as to what an elected Member has to do in order to lose the confidence of the Constable......................................And what the lies are that Constable Taylor has allowed to be spread...................?