The Emergence of Party Politics in Guernsey

The Emergence of Party Politics in Guernsey 

The Chief Minister’s Party – Not all are Invited!

A recent news story blew the gaffe on how a “Chief Minister’s Party” exists, at least implicitly within the States of Guernsey. As the Guernsey press reported:

“A CALL has been made for Policy & Resources president Gavin St Pier to consider his position after an email revealed a favoured bloc has emerged in the States. In it, Deputy St Pier invited just 20 of the 40 members to meet to discuss this month’s agenda and ‘perhaps plan a little ahead’. ‘The next States’ meeting has much on the agenda and plenty of opportunities for mischief to be made!’ wrote Deputy St Pier. The message came to light after Peter Ferbrache, who was not included, then received it in error.”

Incidentally, it demonstrates on of the fundamental propositions by Karl Popper that most secret conspiracies fail – in this case, trying to keep something secret was blown apart by an email sent in error. The old adage “Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead” made by Benjamin Franklin stills hold good.

And as Popper said: “it is one of the striking things about social life that nothing ever comes off as intended. Things always turn out a little bit differently. We hardly ever produce in social life precisely the effect that we wish to produce, and we usually get things that we do not want into the bargain.”

In this case, the effect was to “plan a little ahead” by select favourites, and the unintended consequence is that any attempt to do so will be regard with suspicion as one power block trying to gain control over the States.

Carl Meerveld, one of the founders of the Islanders Association, said “I expect a chief minister to be a person who is bringing people together and trying to break down walls and barriers between members and encourage more cohesive working.’”

The Islander’s Association

Deputy Meerveld is one of the founders of Guernsey's first political group (in March 2018) which is c called the 'Islanders Association'. Its founders, Deputies Ferbrache, Meerveld and Mooney established the association early in March with the hope of "achieving the change that Guernsey needs".

And it states:” Our key objective will be to fundamentally improve the way in which the States of Guernsey functions, with our initial objective being to campaign for the adoption of islandwide voting at the public referendum scheduled to be held on 10th October this year.”

In June, their Facebook page noted:

“A former Chairman and Lord Mayor of the City of Westminster, known for securing improvements to one of London’s most highly serviced but still financially efficient districts, has joined the Executive Committee of the Islanders Association. Harvey Marshall was Chairman and Lord Mayor of Westminster in 2001-2 and served that Council until 2013, when he retired and moved back to Guernsey with his wife, Hazel, who is currently a Lt-Bailiff of the Royal Court.”

He said: “I joined the Islanders Association because I see it as offering the best chance of securing effective action and financial efficiency in the government of Guernsey. I bring not only a business background but also 23 years’ experience of moulding and managing governmental policies on a similar scale for the benefit of the local community and economy. I would encourage anyone who wants to see sensibly focused government and the prudent application of community resources to join the Association and get Guernsey’s government working again,

In April two more Deputies joined. Deputy John Gollop has now joined them, after Deputy Barry Paint also recently announced he had too

Deputy Gollop said: "I am supporting The Islanders Association because I believe that it represents a real opportunity to significantly improve the focus and effectiveness of the States, to increase co-operation between deputies and the public and hopefully attract members of all ages."

It also had another Deputy come on board in June:

“The Islanders Association is proud to announce that Deputy Marc Leadbeater has joined the Association to help develop and promote its efforts to fundamentally improve the functions and effectiveness of our Government.”

And he said:

“The Association has been structured to work within Guernsey’s unique form of consensus government. I particularly appreciate that, while guided by members views, each Deputy will be able to vote with their conscience, as they do now. Giving them the freedom to do what they think is best for the electorate without a ‘party whip’ enforcing the group will, preserving one of the best elements of our existing system.”

And in July, they noted that:

“Anne Ewing, a Leading Independent Director & Corporate Governance Professional Joins the Executive Committee of the Islanders Association”

Guernsey Whig Party

Meanwhile, in April 2018, the Guernsey Press noted:

St Sampson’s parishioner John Semenowicz set up the Guernsey Whig Party in response to recent developments in the island’s political landscape. ‘Along with many other people in Guernsey I am reasonably happy with the non-party political system, after all that is what makes Guernsey so special and we do not need to follow everything that the UK does,’ he said.

He said: “If party politics is going to gain favour locally, there should be one that represents the middle ground of politics and challenges the trend of people being pulled towards either their left or right respective fundamentalist poles. For hundreds of years Whigs developed the British constitution by fighting for equal rights for minorities, and promoting democracy and human rights.”

Charter 2018

In February 2018, there was a new group formed.

The members of the Charter 2018 group of deputies are Mary Lowe, Joe Mooney, Barry Paint, Rob Prow, Andrea Dudley-Owen, Paul Le Pelley, Neil Inder, Jan Kuttelwascher, Marc Leadbeater, Carl Meerveld and Peter Ferbrache.

Guernsey Press said:

“Revealed yesterday, it is an affiliation of 11 members who have backed a charter which sets out the political principles which will guide them for the rest of this term.”

The instigator of the group idea was Deputy Inder, who said that its members had often spoken privately.

Deputy Carl Meerveld said: ‘It’s quite clear that we are very concerned with the left-leaning over-environmentally-friendly position of the States. It’s an affiliation, not an association or an organisation. It’s a group of people who are concerned about the emphasis on social engineering aspects of things that have been brought to the States so far [this term].”

Liam Scholey commented that:

“The group is keen to avoid being branded a party, although it is interesting to note that it is an organised group of elected individuals acting together to promote shared values and policies in a manner more efficient than is possible as individuals. Much like a party.”

“The shared values of the not-party are “fiscal conservatism”, a small state, support of local businesses, low taxation, direct democracy, support of “the family in our modern Guernsey” and the preservation of the Bailiwick’s tradition and culture.”

However, Marc Leadbeater, Carl Meerveld and Peter Ferbrache are now signed up with “Islanders Association” which is far more clearly a party.

And in conclusion

It seems clear that there are both nascent party affiliations emerging in Guernsey as well as a more right-wing formal party, and that the referendum this year may solidify and sharpen the parties or party groups.

From both the antipathy of Charter 2018 and the closely linked emerging “Islanders Association”, and the so called “favouritism” shown by Gavin St Pier (who was almost certainly trying to plan ahead against the oppositional groups), a divide is becoming clearer between left leaning – with State intervention – and right-leaning – with reduced State Intervention.

There seems to be no equivalent of a Reform Party which is also interesting.  Gavin St Pier's cohort seems to be more of a centrist interventionist style, and not that right wing, so the reaction so far has been against that with the  Islanders Association, which is certainly well-structured and bears an uncanny resemblance in some ways to the politics of the "Jersey Small Society" of 2010-2011, although that was closer to the Charter 2018 in being a loose affiliation.

That society, like the Islander's Association, wanted to role back the public sector and reduce taxation. As Peter Body remarked:

In August 2010, Business Brief Editor Peter Body had some trenchant remarks to make about their proposals. He commented that:

"I thought - at last - here's a group of intelligent people who are really going to make a significant contribution to solving some of the island's intractable problems, and get away from this constant battle between spending and saving. My euphoria lasted about eight minutes. It didn't take long to conclude that the Small Society is actually just a front for taxpayers whose only solution to our problems is to cut spending. I should have realised from the list of members, which includes many of the usual suspects, that this isn't so much a Small Society as a Small Minded Society."

https://tonymusings.blogspot.com/2013/11/jersey-small-society-tiny-footnote-in.html

It is notable that the lack of different categories of politician, and the division of Guernsey into large multi-member constituencies may make firmer soil for growing a party than Jersey.  In that respect it is closer to Council elections in England where a "slate" of candidates for a party can be proposed. If the Referendum throws up an Island wide "constituency" - and is passed by the States - that tendency will be even more pronounced.

In Jersey, the three bulwarks against party formation are (1) small constituences based around the Parish (2) the Constables built around a Parish system  (3) the Senators (Island wide but with a rural bias). That is why Sam Mezec only scraped in as Senator, why Reform made only one challenge to a Constable's election, and why they mainly targeted urban districts and failed in more rural ones when they did contest them.

References
https://islanders.gg/
https://guernseypress.com/news/2018/02/19/deputies-sign-up-to-new-charter-that-will-guide-their-thinking/