Political Divide Over Plans for Casino on Jersey – February 9th, 2005

A Jersey deputy is planning to resign over proposals to bring a casino to the island. It is believed Deputy Julian Bernstein will resign from the States tourism board at a meeting later this month.

The casino plans will be introduced to the States at the beginning of next month by the tourism authorities. But Deputy Julian Bernstein says he feels a casino would be wrong for social reasons, and he cannot support the plans. He says members of the tourism industry have also made it clear they would prefer him not to sit on the board.

He says he will officially resign from the board at a meeting on 21 February. The island’s clergy have opposed plans to liberalise gambling laws and in 2003 the States voted to reject a previous casino proposal.