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Morel reflects on ferry decision's personal impact

Rhys ThomasJersey
News imageBBC A middle-aged man with short, dark brown hair and rectangular glasses stands outside a stone public building, facing the camera. The person is wearing a navy suit jacket, white shirt and purple tie, with a small States of Jersey badge on the left lapel. The image is framed from the chest up, with stone steps and an entrance visible behind. Several people are out of focus in the background near the building.BBC
Deputy Kirsten Morel said voters rarely discussed the ferry service with him during the election

The man at the centre of criticism over the decision to appoint DFDS to run Jersey's sea links said at times his role felt like being inside a washing machine.

Deputy Kirsten Morel, then minister for sustainable economic development, faced what he has described as "tough" media scrutiny and "awful" social media comments after DFDS was chosen over Brittany Ferries after a lengthy and controversial tender process in 2024.

The process started as a joint Jersey-Guernsey tender but ended with each island choosing a different operator.

Morel said the last year of the previous political term was the only one of the eight he has served as a politician he had not enjoyed.

News imageThe DFDS high-speed ferry Tarifa Jet sits in calm harbour water beside a stone breakwater and lighthouse. The vessel is white and dark blue, with large white “DFDS” lettering on the hull and the name “Tarifa Jet” visible near the bow. . The harbour walls frame the vessel on either side, while an overcast sky and flat sea form the background.
Morel's time as sustainable economic development minister was headlined by the ferry tender process, which ended with Jersey signing a contract with DFDS

He said ministers can get "wrapped up in it [the role] like a washing machine" and that by the end of the last term he felt like he was "losing touch with not just who I was, but what I stood for, and the people I represented".

Morel said: "No job I've ever had has held a mirror up to myself so much.

"The media coverage is tough, the social media coverage is awful at times, but I don't shy away from the fact that they are showing you yourself."

Re-elected in June as deputy for St John, St Lawrence and Trinity he continues to serve in government, having been named as an assistant minister for the environment.

He said the mental health of candidates was important to consider after rising online abuse and negativity - something other politicians raised after the election.

Morel said: "I would like to think in the future, I might well be back in frontline politics, but in the meantime I want to reconnect with the district."

News imageA man with short greying hair and rectangular glasses stands outdoors at night, facing the camera. The person is wearing a dark navy V-neck jumper over a white collared shirt and a blue-and-gold rosette pinned to the front, bearing the visible text "VOTE MOREL". Bright outdoor lights behind the person create a blurred background with parked vehicles, shrubs and the entrance to a building.
Kirsten Morel was re-elected as a deputy in June's election

Morel has backed DFDS through challenges it has faced taking on Jersey's routes.

His concerns about Condor Ferries centred on their financial performance.

At the time of the tender, Brittany Ferries' boss said he was surprised at that, adding "the financial benefits of our activities are totally reinvested in the company".

Asked if he felt supported during the tender process, Morel said he was backed by ministerial colleagues.

On facing the media, he said: "You're on your own at the end of the day."

Morel said any controversy around the ferry service was not brought up by voters as he canvassed his constituency ahead of the election.

DFDS said there would be improvements in 2026, and has reported increased passengers numbers this year.

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