It was going to be a good night.
Jerseys' vile troller who assumes more names than the sum of the people in the bar he has just left wanted a showdown. The haters of Stuart Syvret, who snipe and demonise the man on blogs like this one and BBC talkback, can look at him with slit eyes and ask any question about his politics or behaviour they want.
There is even a chance of a mob of hecklers. For my part, I wanted to see for myself, and listen. Was it going to be a wasted evening ? was it going to be a diatribe about child abuse ?will it be truthful or will Stuart Syvret just take a defensive position, and blame the attorney general and others for his woes ? These and I am sure many other questions were in my mind and in the minds of the hushed large audience. Late comers were now even standing at the back.
As I glance around the very full room, the people are well dressed and older. At the front are without doubt supporters, I spotted a few known greens but a there was a majority of older middle class types, with smart glasses and tidy appearance. I don't think the Council of Ministers would have liked that. A room full of lefties and tree huggers would be more the preference.
It was a hushed start. The microphone was not working, where was the member of staff from the town hall ? who knows, with little choice and between a 140 and 200 pairs of eyes Stuart Syvret stood up and addressed the hall.
It was clear he was a good speaker. He did not want sympathy, but he did want transparency, he loved Jersey but not the broken political system cored by a group of well connected muti-millionaires committee of ministers, and an unaccountable administration that a few years ago saw a £49 million overspend on capital projects with absolutely no one held to account. The toxic waterfront land which is a legacy for our children for decades, no one held to account several more modern day failings were brought to the rooms notice. All of them costing the hard working taxpayer dearly, no one held to account.
He waved a sheath of white printed paper, we were told this is the Sharp report. It was buried it was not available to the public. A mother of one of the children from Victoria College asked for a copy and was refused. I managed to get one after years, said the ex politician, and what reading it makes. The police investigation is there and the details. The investigation clearly shows a cover up protecting the college not the children. Some of the names mentioned are in high office today. In the public interest he offered it to the world, against all the ( Government ) rules on his blog.
Hold on a minute, why is the room so silent except for a small man with his associate on a very big stage doing his best to carry his voice to the outskirts of the room.
Not being heckled, where are the disrupters the people that want to rubbish the man and all he stands for. By talking about child abuse for a very short time, but spreading to a broad sweep of issues that affect us all, he seemed to me, up to speed, and to be making an awful lot of sense both on economic issues and by illustrating failures in Jerseys government.
Then shock of all shocks Stuart Syvret said that other intelligent and well-researched states member's proposals had failed even though the argument had clearly been won.
The feeling in the room was warm, but it was about to change I thought because its question time. Is the vile troll in the room, I hope he goes first. Are the anti Syvret bloggers here and going to crush him with well thought out questions.
Such a large audience, so many people and Stuart Syvret and his friend and intelligent associate Mark Forskitt would be smashed to pieces by a barrage of very heavy one or four liners questions. The large attendance can hold twenty years of his information on his political life, should they do their homework, now is their golden opportunity to get answers.
Donald stood up and said he had felt deserted as he had voted for him. Why was he in London and would he give the wages back ? Syvret explained again ( he had done so earlier) and some boos rang out against Donald who had not tuned in earlier. It is starting, I thought. Then more people asked questions and they were answered clearly and to the point, waffle he does not do.
Nick Le Cornu made a interesting and intelligent short speech which then became two questions. I noticed an air of the left taking over so did Syvret who went on to say how middle class Jersey was in for a very expensive time by this Government because, and gave some serious examples, all which made very reasonable sense to me.
So where were the black leather jacket brigade, where were the hecklers, where were the questions from the nasty bloggers who continue to carry out personal attacks on Stuart Syvret. Where were the people that had an axe to grind with him.
Maybe they just did not have the backbone or intelligence or both to ask the man on the night.
He had the backbone to get up on stage, not knowing who would attend this island wide public meeting. Ex, hopeful or serving politicians, unhappy civil servants or just angry members of the public, some even might wish to throw rotten fruit.
All he got was a loud standing ovation.
Boatyboy.
