[9] Southern's first ran for the States of Jersey 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.

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.

[11] 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.

[12][13] 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.

[14] 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.

[16] In 2005, Southern was a founding member of the Jersey Democratic Alliance and upon the retirement of Chairman Rev Tony Keogh he was elected to the leadership of that party.