Ian Joseph Gorst (born 15 December 1969) is a

Jersey Jersey ( , ; nrf, Jèrri, label= Jèrriais ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey (french: Bailliage de Jersey, links=no; Jèrriais: ), is an island country and self-governing Crown Dependency near the coast of north-west France. It is the ...

politician who has been a

Deputy Deputy or depute may refer to: * Steward (office) * Khalifa, an Arabic title that can signify "deputy" * Deputy (legislator), a legislator in many countries and regions, including: ** A member of a Chamber of Deputies, for example in Italy, Spain, ...

for St Mary, St Ouen and St Peter and Minister for Treasury and Resources since 2022. Gorst was first elected to the

States Assembly The States Assembly (french: Assemblée des États; Jèrriais: ) is the parliament of Jersey, formed of the island's 37 deputies and the Connétable of each of the twelve parishes. The origins of the legislature of Jersey lie in the system o ...

in the 2005 general election as a Deputy for St Clement. In November 2011, after his successful election as a Senator, Gorst was appointed Chief Minister by the Assembly. He served two terms as Chief Minister until he was beaten in a vote against John Le Fondré after the 2018 general election. From 2018 to 2022 he served as Minister for External Relations. Born in

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancas ...

, Gorst worked as an

accountant An accountant is a practitioner of accounting or accountancy. Accountants who have demonstrated competency through their professional associations' certification exams are certified to use titles such as Chartered Accountant, Chartered Certifi ...

before going into politics after moving to Jersey.

Background

Gorst was born into a farming family in the

Lune Valley The River Lune (archaically sometimes Loyne) is a river in length in Cumbria and Lancashire, England. Etymology Several elucidations for the origin of the name ''Lune'' exist. Firstly, it may be that the name is Brittonic in genesis and de ...

, Lancashire, England, and left school with

A-levels The A-Level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational a ...

in history and business studies (grade E) and went on to work in insurance before going into banking and accountancy. He was a member of the UK

Conservative Party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...

before leaving the United Kingdom. He met his wife Dionne (née A'Court), a Jerseywoman, while she was studying nursing in England, and the couple moved back to Jersey.

Electoral history

Gorst was elected to the States of Jersey as one of the Deputies for St Clement in the 2005 elections, coming second with 930 votes. He was re-elected in

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

when he topped the poll with 1,112 votes. In the 2011 general election he successfully stood for one of the four Senators' seats, coming second out of 13 candidates. Gorst was re-elected in the 2014 general election with 14,035 votes (9.6% of the vote share), the highest of any Senatorial candidate.

States Assembly

In 2005, Gorst was appointed as an assistant minister in the Chief Minister's Department, with responsibility for decisions about migration and human resources. In July 2007, Gorst became an assistant minister to the Minister for Treasury and Resources, with responsibilities including the review of accounting functions, investment matters, internal audit and procurement. Between 2008 and 2011, Gorst was Minister for Employment and Social Security in the

Council of Ministers A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/ shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or ...

. During his period of office, a system for redundancy payments was introduced, the income support system was criticized, state pension retirement age was raised from 65 to 67; and a new system for funding care in old age was put in place. He was elected

Chief Minister of Jersey The Chief Minister of Jersey (french: Premier/ère Ministre de Jersey; nrf, label=Jèrriais, Chef Minnistre dé Jèrri) is the head of government of Jersey, leading the Council of Ministers, which makes up part of the Government of Jersey. The ...

in November 2011 and became the first Chief Minister to serve for two terms. He was succeeded by John Le Fondré in June 2018, when the new Chief Minister appointed Senator Gorst as the Minister for External Relations, a role he has taken over from Sir Philip Bailhache. Gorst has served as chairman of the Jersey Overseas Aid Commission.

Voluntary work

Gorst is the Deputy Chair of Governors at

Le Rocquier School Le Rocquier School is a secondary school, owned and operated by the States of Jersey, and located in the parish of St Clement in Jersey. History The present school building, which replaced an older building, was opened to students on 29 Februa ...

, a member of Le Squez Youth Club Management Committee, and a member of NSPCC Pathways steering group.

References

External links

Senator Ian Joseph Gorst on States Assembly Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gorst, Ian 1969 births Deputies of Jersey Government ministers of Jersey Living people Senators of Jersey Jersey accountants Chief Ministers of Jersey