Geoff Southern
Encyclopedia
Geoff Southern is a Jersey
politician. He has been a deputy in the States of Jersey
since 2002 and has chaired two scrutiny panels.
with a BSc (Hons) Metallurgy and French and had a career as a school teacher at Hautlieu School
, Jersey
and a homeless support worker. However, he left his teaching position at Hautlieu School
due to numerous complaints regarding his conduct, in particular swearing at students. Following the Jersey child abuse investigation 2008
, a number of former female Hautlieu School
students have anonymously come forward accusing Southern of child grooming
, abusing his position of trust
as a teacher, sexual misconduct
and engaging in sexual relationships with students.
He is a former president of the Jersey branch of the National Union of Teachers
. He is a fan of the American singer-songwriter Tom Waits
.
Previously, Southern was chairman of the Economic Affairs scrutiny panel and the telecoms privatisation sub-panel and a member of the migration policy scrutiny sub-panel.
He serves on the executive committee of the Jersey branch of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie
.
in the elections for six vacant seats as Senator in October 1996
polling 13th and last with 1,429 votes, then for Deputy in St Helier District No. 3 & 4 in November 1996
polling 7th of 7 with 241 votes. Southern ran again in the October 2005 elections for six vacant seats as Senator; he received 4,724 votes, finishing 13th of the 15 candidates.
He was first elected to the States of Jersey
as Deputy of Saint Helier
No.2 district in a by election on 15 February 2002 and was subsequently re-elected in November 2002
, 2005 and 2008
.
On 5 January 2009 he, and a Jersey Democratic Alliance
colleague in the same constituency (Shona Pitman), were charged with breaching Article 39A of the Public Elections (Jersey) Law 2002, which prohibits a candidate or representative from interfering with a person's application for registration to vote, during the November 2008 election
. Southern had opposed the introduction of this law when it was debated in the States assembly
in 2008, saying that he would "continue to assist people who ask me to help them fill in the form … I am among those who may well be prosecuted under the bureaucratic nonsense of a piece of law". On 20 February 2009, Southern pleaded guilty in Magistrate's Court to breaking the law "by assisting about 70 elderly, infirm or busy people to complete a postal vote application form in the election and/or delivering their completed forms" and he was committed to the Royal Court for sentencing. In mitigation his advocate submitted that the law infringed the human rights of the disabled and infirm to take part in the electoral process and the debate on Article 39A in the States had been flawed. Southern was sentenced to a fine of £10,000 (or twenty weeks' imprisonment in default).
In June 2010, Southern stood in a by-election for a vacant senatorial seat caused by Stuart Syvret
's six month absence from the island, finishing fifth out of nine candidates. In October 2011, Southern was successful in retaining his seat as Deputy for the St Helier No. 2 district.
and upon the retirement of Chairman Rev Tony Keogh he was elected to the leadership of that party. His election fomented the split in the party which led to the formation of the short-lived Centre Party
.
He was one of two JDA candidates in the 2005 Senatorial elections but neither was unsuccessful. He ran in the Deputy elections the following month as an independent (though remained a member of the party) and retained his seat. In 2006 he stepped down from the chair.
In the 2008 deputies' elections
, Southern was one of four JDA
candidates elected. When the three other members subsequently left the party and continued to sit as independents, Southern remained the only member of the States assembly
formally affiliated to a political party. In August 2011, he announced that he would be standing as an independent in the October 2011
elections.
Jersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
politician. He has been a deputy in the States of Jersey
States of Jersey
The States of Jersey is the parliament and government of Jersey.The Assembly of the States of Jersey has exercised legislative powers since 1771, when law-making power was transferred from the Royal Court of Jersey....
since 2002 and has chaired two scrutiny panels.
Biography
Southern was born in Manchester. He graduated from the University of SurreyUniversity of Surrey
The University of Surrey is a university located within the county town of Guildford, Surrey in the South East of England. It received its charter on 9 September 1966, and was previously situated near Battersea Park in south-west London. The institution was known as Battersea College of Technology...
with a BSc (Hons) Metallurgy and French and had a career as a school teacher at Hautlieu School
Hautlieu School
Hautlieu School, commonly referred to as "Hautlieu", is a 14+ school in the parish of St. Saviour, Jersey.-Overview:The school currently has approximately 680 pupils. During the academic year 2004/2005 the GCSE pass rate was 100%, at which 40% gained A* to A grades...
, Jersey
Jersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
and a homeless support worker. However, he left his teaching position at Hautlieu School
Hautlieu School
Hautlieu School, commonly referred to as "Hautlieu", is a 14+ school in the parish of St. Saviour, Jersey.-Overview:The school currently has approximately 680 pupils. During the academic year 2004/2005 the GCSE pass rate was 100%, at which 40% gained A* to A grades...
due to numerous complaints regarding his conduct, in particular swearing at students. Following the Jersey child abuse investigation 2008
Jersey child abuse investigation 2008
The Jersey child abuse investigation 2008 is an investigation into historic child abuse in Jersey. It started in the spring of 2007. Formerly, a social worker, Simon Bellwood had made a complaint about a "'Dickensian' system" where children as young as 11 were routinely locked up for 24 hours or...
, a number of former female Hautlieu School
Hautlieu School
Hautlieu School, commonly referred to as "Hautlieu", is a 14+ school in the parish of St. Saviour, Jersey.-Overview:The school currently has approximately 680 pupils. During the academic year 2004/2005 the GCSE pass rate was 100%, at which 40% gained A* to A grades...
students have anonymously come forward accusing Southern of child grooming
Child grooming
Child grooming refers to actions deliberately undertaken with the aim of befriending and establishing an emotional connection with a child, in order to lower the child's inhibitions in preparation for sexual activity with the child, or exploitation .Child grooming may be used to lure minors into...
, abusing his position of trust
Position of trust
Position of trust is a legal term that is commonly used in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada. It refers to a position of authority over another person or within an organization, for example as a supervisor...
as a teacher, sexual misconduct
Sexual misconduct
Sexual misconduct is misconduct of a sexual nature. The term may be used to condemn an act, but in some jurisdictions it has also a legal meaning....
and engaging in sexual relationships with students.
He is a former president of the Jersey branch of the National Union of Teachers
National Union of Teachers
The National Union of Teachers is a trade union for school teachers in England, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. It is a member of the Trades Union Congress...
. He is a fan of the American singer-songwriter Tom Waits
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...
.
States of Jersey
In the 2008-2011 States assembly, Southern was chairman of the Health, Social Security and Housing scrutiny panel, leading reviews on income support delivery of service, social housing waiting lists, reviews of benefit levels and the airport and harbours sub-panel.Previously, Southern was chairman of the Economic Affairs scrutiny panel and the telecoms privatisation sub-panel and a member of the migration policy scrutiny sub-panel.
He serves on the executive committee of the Jersey branch of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie
Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie
The Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie is an association of the parliaments of Francophone countries. It was established in Luxembourg in 1967, and was then known as the Association internationale des parlementaires de langue française....
.
Electoral history
Southern's first ran for the States of JerseyStates of Jersey
The States of Jersey is the parliament and government of Jersey.The Assembly of the States of Jersey has exercised legislative powers since 1771, when law-making power was transferred from the Royal Court of Jersey....
in the elections for six vacant seats as Senator in October 1996
Jersey general election, 1996
Elections were held in 1996 for both Senators and Deputies to the States of Jersey.-Senator Elections:*Pierre Horsfall 14,681*Corrie Stein 11,213*Len Norman 11,017*Wendy Kinnard 10,520*Frank Walker 10,295...
polling 13th and last with 1,429 votes, then for Deputy in St Helier District No. 3 & 4 in November 1996
Jersey general election, 1996
Elections were held in 1996 for both Senators and Deputies to the States of Jersey.-Senator Elections:*Pierre Horsfall 14,681*Corrie Stein 11,213*Len Norman 11,017*Wendy Kinnard 10,520*Frank Walker 10,295...
polling 7th of 7 with 241 votes. Southern ran again in the October 2005 elections for six vacant seats as Senator; he received 4,724 votes, finishing 13th of the 15 candidates.
He was first elected to the States of Jersey
States of Jersey
The States of Jersey is the parliament and government of Jersey.The Assembly of the States of Jersey has exercised legislative powers since 1771, when law-making power was transferred from the Royal Court of Jersey....
as Deputy of Saint Helier
Saint Helier
Saint Helier is one of the twelve parishes of Jersey, the largest of the Channel Islands in the English Channel. St. Helier has a population of about 28,000, roughly 31.2% of the total population of Jersey, and is the capital of the Island . The urban area of the parish of St...
No.2 district in a by election on 15 February 2002 and was subsequently re-elected in November 2002
Jersey general election, 2002
Elections were held in 2002 for both Senators and Deputies to the States of Jersey.-Senator Elections:*Philip Ozouf: 14442*Wendy Kinnard: 12230*Paul Routier: 11687*Mike Vibert: 10624*Len Norman: 10192*Frank Walker: 9377*Guy de Faye: 7576...
, 2005 and 2008
Jersey general election, 2008
The Jersey general election, 2008 was a series of elections that were taking place in two stages in October and November 2008 in Jersey.- Constable elections :...
.
On 5 January 2009 he, and a Jersey Democratic Alliance
Jersey Democratic Alliance
The Jersey Democratic Alliance is Jersey's only registered political party. JDA candidates contested general elections in 2005 and 2008 but announced in August 2011 that it would not be fielding candidates in the October 2011 elections....
colleague in the same constituency (Shona Pitman), were charged with breaching Article 39A of the Public Elections (Jersey) Law 2002, which prohibits a candidate or representative from interfering with a person's application for registration to vote, during the November 2008 election
Jersey general election, 2008
The Jersey general election, 2008 was a series of elections that were taking place in two stages in October and November 2008 in Jersey.- Constable elections :...
. Southern had opposed the introduction of this law when it was debated in the States assembly
States of Jersey
The States of Jersey is the parliament and government of Jersey.The Assembly of the States of Jersey has exercised legislative powers since 1771, when law-making power was transferred from the Royal Court of Jersey....
in 2008, saying that he would "continue to assist people who ask me to help them fill in the form … I am among those who may well be prosecuted under the bureaucratic nonsense of a piece of law". On 20 February 2009, Southern pleaded guilty in Magistrate's Court to breaking the law "by assisting about 70 elderly, infirm or busy people to complete a postal vote application form in the election and/or delivering their completed forms" and he was committed to the Royal Court for sentencing. In mitigation his advocate submitted that the law infringed the human rights of the disabled and infirm to take part in the electoral process and the debate on Article 39A in the States had been flawed. Southern was sentenced to a fine of £10,000 (or twenty weeks' imprisonment in default).
In June 2010, Southern stood in a by-election for a vacant senatorial seat caused by Stuart Syvret
Stuart Syvret
Stuart Syvret is a political activist in Jersey. He held elected office as a member of the States of Jersey assembly from 1990 to 2010. From 1999 to 2007, Svyret had executive responsibilities first as President of the Health and Social Services Committee and, after the 2005 constitutional reforms,...
's six month absence from the island, finishing fifth out of nine candidates. In October 2011, Southern was successful in retaining his seat as Deputy for the St Helier No. 2 district.
Party politics
In 2005, Southern was a founding member of the Jersey Democratic AllianceJersey Democratic Alliance
The Jersey Democratic Alliance is Jersey's only registered political party. JDA candidates contested general elections in 2005 and 2008 but announced in August 2011 that it would not be fielding candidates in the October 2011 elections....
and upon the retirement of Chairman Rev Tony Keogh he was elected to the leadership of that party. His election fomented the split in the party which led to the formation of the short-lived Centre Party
Centre Party (Jersey)
-Party ideology and policies:In the 2005 elections, the Centre Party's policies were:*Against the proposed 3% Goods and Services Tax *Against the continuation of the 20% income tax*Abolish the Vehicle Registration Duty for smaller cars...
.
He was one of two JDA candidates in the 2005 Senatorial elections but neither was unsuccessful. He ran in the Deputy elections the following month as an independent (though remained a member of the party) and retained his seat. In 2006 he stepped down from the chair.
In the 2008 deputies' elections
Jersey general election, 2008
The Jersey general election, 2008 was a series of elections that were taking place in two stages in October and November 2008 in Jersey.- Constable elections :...
, Southern was one of four JDA
Jersey Democratic Alliance
The Jersey Democratic Alliance is Jersey's only registered political party. JDA candidates contested general elections in 2005 and 2008 but announced in August 2011 that it would not be fielding candidates in the October 2011 elections....
candidates elected. When the three other members subsequently left the party and continued to sit as independents, Southern remained the only member of the States assembly
States of Jersey
The States of Jersey is the parliament and government of Jersey.The Assembly of the States of Jersey has exercised legislative powers since 1771, when law-making power was transferred from the Royal Court of Jersey....
formally affiliated to a political party. In August 2011, he announced that he would be standing as an independent in the October 2011
Jersey general election, 2011
General elections for the States of Jersey will be held in Jersey on 19 October 2011, and for the first time Senators, Deputies and Constables will be elected on a single day in Jersey. This will reduce the number of members of the States of Jersey from 53 to 51...
elections.