WOW, the Chamber of Commerce’s new glossy magazine which celebrates 200 years of the business group’s history in the island, is not shy about its objectives.
‘Proud to be positive about our island’ is the motto emblazoned across the front page and the next 57 pages are indeed relentlessly upbeat.
Ironically, the least Guernsey aspect of a series of articles which celebrate everything from the island’s fine cows to its financial acumen and from its heroes to its euchre is the ‘from the rooftops’ manner in which the writers set about trumpeting our undoubted successes.
For the one thing Guernsey people are not renowned for is their bragging. That can be left to our neighbours to the south.
But it is clear from this publication and the recent Guernsey International Business Association charm offensive that a conscious decision has been taken among the island’s business leaders to come out fighting.
It might be alien to island nature, but such gung-ho chest-thumping is seen as one way to tip the scales of public opinion towards the business community.
And in this none-too-subtle fashion islanders are reminded who pays the bills - rather like the father who chastises his ungrateful children for demanding more pocket money.
Quite whether such a forcefully positive approach was necessary is impossible to judge.
Do those islanders who would cheerfully wave goodbye to the finance industry represent a majority? Not a chance. Is there even a significant kernel of support for such ideas? Unlikely.
But do such views exist at all? Yes.
The timing for these positive waves is, of course, quite deliberate. An election is around the corner and there are more than a few candidates the business community would not welcome.
Those espousing negative views on the benefits of the finance industry can rightly feel that it is not just the other candidates they must battle.
But with the national press full of gloom about house prices, credit crunches and rocketing bills, few can seriously doubt the good fortune of a strong finance sector powering our economy. That alone should be enough to swing this argument.
Selling our successes to ourselves
WOW, the Chamber of Commerce’s new glossy magazine which celebrates 200 years of the business group’s history in the island, is not shy about its objectives.
‘Proud to be positive about our island’ is the motto emblazoned across the front page and the next 57 pages are indeed relentlessly upbeat.
Ironically, the least Guernsey aspect of a series of articles which celebrate everything from the island’s fine cows to its financial acumen and from its heroes to its euchre is the ‘from the rooftops’ manner in which the writers set about trumpeting our undoubted successes.
For the one thing Guernsey people are not renowned for is their bragging. That can be left to our neighbours to the south.
But it is clear from this publication and the recent Guernsey International Business Association charm offensive that a conscious decision has been taken among the island’s business leaders to come out fighting.
It might be alien to island nature, but such gung-ho chest-thumping is seen as one way to tip the scales of public opinion towards the business community.
And in this none-too-subtle fashion islanders are reminded who pays the bills - rather like the father who chastises his ungrateful children for demanding more pocket money.
Quite whether such a forcefully positive approach was necessary is impossible to judge.
Do those islanders who would cheerfully wave goodbye to the finance industry represent a majority? Not a chance. Is there even a significant kernel of support for such ideas? Unlikely.
But do such views exist at all? Yes.
The timing for these positive waves is, of course, quite deliberate. An election is around the corner and there are more than a few candidates the business community would not welcome.
Those espousing negative views on the benefits of the finance industry can rightly feel that it is not just the other candidates they must battle.
But with the national press full of gloom about house prices, credit crunches and rocketing bills, few can seriously doubt the good fortune of a strong finance sector powering our economy. That alone should be enough to swing this argument.
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