I’m Andrew Turner, and I’m standing again in this year’s general election.
Over the past four years, I’ve had the privilege of representing our community through challenge and change. I’ve done so with honesty, determination, and a belief that public service should mean just that—serving the public.
But let’s be honest: something’s gone missing in our politics. Too many people feel unheard, sidelined, and disillusioned. That’s why I’m running on three simple principles:
Our Island, Our Say. Fixing the Foundations. Plans into Progress.
Our island, Our say
In the last few years, I have spoken to an increasing number of people who feel unheard, sidelined, and disillusioned. I’ve stood in living rooms, local shops, schools and out on the street, listening to what people have to say and again and again, I hear the same concern: that the voices of the people are not being heard in the halls of Government.
This needs to end now.
I’m running on the basis of “our island, our say”. That means putting people back in control of their future. I believe our island doesn’t belong to politicians. It belongs to all of us. Decisions should be made with you—not for you. I want us to reclaim that promise together.
This campaign is not about me—it’s about us. It’s about our right to be heard, our role in shaping our Island, and our power to demand better. Not just better representation, but better outcomes. Not just promises—but participation.
With your support, I truly believe we can build a government that listens and a leadership that delivers.
Fixing the Foundations: Building St Helena’s Future from the Ground Up
When I launched this campaign, I spoke about something many of us feel: that the voices of ordinary people are being drowned out in the halls of Government. “Our Island, Our Say” is not just a slogan—it’s a commitment to restoring that voice, a commitment to your rights, and putting you back in the driving seat of our future.
But reclaiming our say means more than just being heard. It means having the tools, the infrastructure, and the stability that enables people to get what they want out of life. Whether that’s starting a business, building your home or enjoying a comfortable retirement, we all rely on the same foundations and right now, too much of our energy is spent just trying to get by.
Over the last term in Council, I often found myself frustrated by how frequently we’ve been drawn into debates that felt like arguing over what colour to paint the walls while the house’s foundation is crumbling. The truth is simple: no matter how good the paint looks, if the structure underneath is unstable, the whole house is at risk.
St Helena is that house — and the time has come to stop painting over cracks and start reinforcing the foundations.
Those foundations are the services and infrastructure every one of us relies on: stable, affordable electricity; clean and reliable water; and roads that are safe and fit for purpose. They might not sound revolutionary, but they are the bedrock of everything else we want to achieve. Without them, progress in other areas is built on sand.
We’ve all felt the cost of inaction. Take renewable energy: the lack of movement towards cheaper, cleaner power has hit every household hard. As energy bills climb, families are forced to make impossible choices. Businesses face the same squeeze — and when they raise prices to survive, the burden falls back on the community, driving up the cost of living yet again. It’s a vicious cycle that keeps us locked in survival mode and stifles any chance of growth.
I believe in facing these realities head‑on. It means setting priorities based not on short‑term political wins but on what will make life genuinely better for everyone. By focusing our resources on fixing these fundamentals now, we can break that cycle — creating an environment where people can plan for the future, businesses can invest and expand, and the island as a whole can shift from getting by to truly thriving.
This is not about lowering our ambition. It’s about laying the groundwork so ambition has something solid to stand on.
Above all, fixing the foundations must be a shared effort. “Our Island, Our Say” means that if we, as a community, commit to building that strong, resilient foundation together, there will be no limit to what St Helena can achieve. A strong future isn’t built on promises made in the Council Chamber; it’s built on a foundation we all help lay.
When we fix the foundations together, we’re not just building infrastructure we’re building trust, opportunity, and a future shaped by all of us.
Plans into Progress: Turning Visions into Reality for St Helena
When good intentions sit on a shelf, our island stands still. “Plans into Progress” is a commitment to break that cycle and make a visible improvement in people’s lives. For too long, debates have outlasted deadlines and promising ideas have faded without follow-through. Words mean nothing without action.
Every delayed or abandoned project chips away at trust. When we talk about cleaner water, cheaper energy, or stronger roads but don’t act, families face higher bills, businesses struggle, and confidence in government erodes. St Helena’s potential dims with every missed opportunity.
Accountability isn’t just a buzzword it’s the mechanism that transforms intention into impact. With clear responsibilities, concrete deadlines and honest engagement with the public, we can make follow-through inevitable.
“Plans into Progress” is vital because with solid actions we can reverse the downward spiral and begin to grow again. Each win, no matter how small, builds capacity for bigger projects, helping us Fix the Foundations.
Time and again, we’re told by consultants how to fix our challenges—yet their reports all too often gather dust while real solutions sit within reach of the boots on the ground who tackle these issues every single day. By shifting trust and resources to local expertise, we ensure each plan is infused with lived experience and built to last.
“Plans into Progress” is about creating homegrown victories that benefit every district and every home. Shifting from imported top-down decisions and putting local voices first not only helps us all get on board with action but makes our democracy stronger and delivers on Our Island, Our Say.
Together, we can transform blueprints into clean water, reliable energy, and smoother roads and in doing so, we’ll restore confidence in the power of local democracy, because when our island leads with action, Our Island, Our Say becomes the heartbeat of our future
“Plans into Progress” is about ensuring that good intentions lead to real impact. By holding ourselves to the highest standards of accountability and tapping into the local knowledge we’ll build the foundations for a safer, stronger, and more prosperous St Helena.
VOTE ANDREW TURNER