Insights from our President, Lee Madden, May 2026

From Pressure to Progress

It would be hard to argue that Jersey’s business community isn’t feeling the pressure right now.

Rising living costs, energy prices, housing availability, workforce constraints and an uncertain global backdrop are all part of the day‑to‑day reality for employers across the Island. These challenges aren’t theoretical they show up in recruitment conversations, wage decisions and margins that are being stretched harder than many businesses would like.

But pressure, in itself, is not the problem, what matters is how we respond to it.

Handled well, pressure can become the catalyst for progress. And Jersey now finds itself at a moment where that choice really matters.

In June, Islanders will head to the polls and elect a new States Assembly, followed by a new political leadership. Elections are, by nature, a time of debate and difference. But they are also an opportunity a chance to reset priorities, sharpen focus and, crucially for business, move from discussion to delivery.

Because Jersey is not short of ambition, it is not short of capital or access to it and it is certainly not short of talent.

Where we can do better is pace and alignment.

Over recent years, the Island has produced no shortage of strategies, plans and frameworks. Many of them are well‑intentioned and thoughtfully designed. But businesses do not operate on strategies alone, they operate on decisions, execution and confidence that when something is agreed, it will actually happen.

Uncertainty is uncomfortable, but it is manageable, indecision is not.

One of Jersey’s greatest strengths is its size. We have the ability to move faster than larger jurisdictions, to collaborate more closely and to adjust policy in real time. But that advantage only counts if government and industry work together early, if data and lived experience sit alongside policy intent, and if progress is prioritised over perfection.

As we approach the election, Chamber’s message is deliberately consistent and constructive.

Business is not asking for special treatment. It is asking for clarity, consistency and delivery. It wants engagement at the start of the process, not once positions have hardened. And it wants policy grounded in evidence and economic reality.

During the campaign period, I would actively encourage candidates to engage with Chamber, meet our members and test their ideas against the realities of running a business in Jersey today.

The next Assembly will inherit genuine challenges but also real opportunity. The decisions taken in the first year of the new term will shape confidence, investment and job creation well beyond this political cycle.

Chamber stands ready to work constructively with whoever is elected focused on outcomes, evidence and delivery.

Because when the environment is right, business will do what it always does best: invest, innovate, create jobs and help Jersey thrive.