This Is Guernsey

OF ALL the things that have been said about this States of Guernsey, the outgoing remarks of the deputy chief minister explaining why he has not sought reelection are probably the most worrying.

‘Sadly, the highly charged political events and manoeuvrings surrounding the clinical block tender seriously undermined my confidence in other politicians and eroded my enthusiasm for the job,’ he said. As an insider, his criticism exposes some serious flaws in the system and those political individuals who comprise it.

His remarks invite the conclusion that any minister or chief minister is a hostage to fortune and cannot build a team through which to deliver the aspirations of government and islanders.

Instead, he or she has no control over those who may be motivated by hostility, spite or self-interest to work against what should be a common objective.

The situation was, however, wholly predictable and a consequence of the States adopting a watered-down version of the Harwood report more than four years ago.

In our view, leaving ministers unable to select their teams or, at the least, being able to remove obstructive individuals was clearly going to create difficulties and who on earth would want to be chief minister with substantial responsibilities but no control?

That is a failure of the reform process and a failure to grasp the nettle at the time.

Whether it should have been executive or cabinet government is perhaps a moot point but the reforms have made it harder for committed deputies to gain a sense of achievement from the efforts they have made.

Yes, some departments have worked well together but others have not and the signs are clear to see – but not the solution under the current system.

In some sense, this is now a time for islanders to tell politicians how they want to be governed: with clarity, purpose and a sense of unity.

A further reduction in the number of deputies and greater ministerial powers of departmental selection are just the start.