Frank Walker floats the idea of a Channel Islands foreign minister at yesterday’s Chamber of Commerce lunch. (0890498)
THE concept of a Channel Islands foreign minister was floated at yesterday’s Chamber of Commerce lunch.
Guest speaker former Jersey chief minister Frank Walker said it was one area where he felt the governments of both Guernsey and Jersey were currently lacking and, despite the current economic pressures facing both of them, money needed to be found in both budgets to fund one.
He also felt there was no reason why there had to be one from each island and that one politician could represent both.
‘Every serious government we deal with has one,’ said Mr Walker.
‘We are playing in the big league now. It’s tough and I think we need the equivalent structure there to represent us.
‘If we are to fulfil our full potential we need government structures that allow us to move quickly and decisively. At the minute we haven’t got the structure that allows us to carry that out.’
He said fears that the islands could not work together in such projects were unfounded, as the minister appointed would not be trying to attract business to the respective islands, but would be attempting to portray and explain, on a continuing basis, the positive messages about the Channel Islands that were evident in the Foot Report, the Hines Report, and Jersey’s recent IMF verdict.
‘What these reports create for us is a unique opportunity. We have all been going out there to tell the world how well governed and how well regulated we are, but this is the first time we have had a high-level independent verification of that.’
The Foot Report, commissioned by the UK Government, was particularly pleasing, he said, as its conclusions were perhaps not what the UK had expected it to reveal.
The foreign minister position, just like the opening of a Brussels office, was key to the future of the Channel Islands, said Mr Walker.
‘I very much hope the Brussels office goes ahead. It’s so important we are out there represented and I very much hope we do it together.
‘What is the point in Guernsey having an office and Jersey having one 50 metres down the street?
‘This is not competition for finance business, this is about getting the positive Channel Island message across.’
Article posted on 16th December, 2009 - 11.30am
18 Article Comments
Will commerce please stop lobbying the politicians.
Commerce should get on with (and mind) their own business and let the ‘peoples’ deputies get on with theirs.
I for one am fed up with it.
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Get out of UK first then link up.
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The truth is slowly coming out about Trott’s ambitions after this present term of election. It is fairly obvious that he is unlikely to be re-elected as a deputy, and in any event what job could he safely be given to do? The emphasis already given to establishing an office in Brussels, the eglomaniac world travelling and gladhanding all point to this direction. The grovelling to our local bankers, and the disregard of the local population in favour of Guernsey PLC reinforce these arguments. Let us hope (and lobby our individual deputies) so that when he departs this Island to his new office, he doesn’t take with him any authority to further damage the people of this Island.
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Hadrian
I would disagree with you. I think, and I know quite a few others who think the same away, that Lyndon Trott is doing an outstanding job in his off-island ambassadorial role. It is in relation to his on-island role where most concerns seem to arise. The role of Chief Minister should be separate to that of Foreign Minister. Indeed, the Chief Minister is (or should be) effectively the “Chairman of the Board”, the “Board” being the Policy Council.
I would suggest that we would be better off with a different Chief Minister, and for Lyndon (or whoever) to have the role of Foreign Minister which would come with a seat on Policy Council.
Whilst I can see that Frank Walker’s idea has merit on cost grounds, it would only work in respect of situations where Guernsey and Jersey are totally on the same wavelength. Whenever there is a topic where the two islands don’t agree, or have different interests to protect, it falls down. I would prefer to see us have a jointly-funded Brussels Office, represented there by the same people in order to minimise costs, but for the CI’s EU representatives to be equally representing both Guernsey and Jersey on all matters affecting us both (which will be 99% of them). Much safer in my view.
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Shouldn’t be any fuss about this:
Tell it straight for once NO.
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We need a foreign minister like we need a hole in our head.
There’s enough foreigners here how without getting any more fancy names, what do you think the Island is.?
Some bloney metropolis.
Get rid of those unwanted ministers, then back to more rational way of life for the ISLANDERS
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Eric
A “foreign minister” doesn’t have to be foreign himself/herself !
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Honestly, Eric, the ISLANDERS all benefit from the way of life largely funded by industries people like you appear (I’m not saying you do) to despise.
Who would pay for our disability officer, sensory rooms and e-white boards in schools if we didn’t have the money from finance? All the sexy stuff we bang on about wanting without thinking about what life was/would be without it.
Oh, let’s do it all the True Guernsey Way.
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Rather than waste more time and money dreaming up new jobs for themselves, why don’t our politicians focus on running the island properly.
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Is Frank Walker crazy?
We need fewer ministers/deputies not more.
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Smudger and billythefish:
I quite understand your views, and of course in a way you are right:
I do not despise the non Guernsey people at all.
But I can only see another way to wangle in some idea of governing, far to many try to make themselves important with a title.
If we shall get a ‘foreign minister’ (knowing already he need not be a foreigner,) (that was put in to make it sound silly)
However if there should Be a ‘Foreign minister’
then it should also be at least two party government, then maybe we will get some people who will thrash things out in a manner more democratically than it is now.
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I do hope that Guernsey really isn’t considering listening to Frank Walker of all people…..!
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Billythefish, if we didn’t have foreigners our population would be lower, thus able to purchase these items for fewer schools, as not as many would be needed.
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GG
Equally, withou foreigners there would be no finance money washing around either.
Whatever way you try and look at it the standard of living here would decrease dramatically.
You cant have your cake and eat it.
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more jobs for people who have invented them to make them sleves feel important.sometimes the deputies rise above their station as they think they are more important than they are, lyndon trott seems to think he is more important then he is, guernsey finance the same, giba the same, chamber of commerce the same. now we can have a foreign minister who can do the same. who the hell is frank walker? it would be like taking advice off mike torode for goodness sake.why must some people constantly need to be in posotions of power, beware these people.
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Spot on, Aidy.
So we’re listening to the philosophies of FW now? Perhaps that’s because many of the residents of his own island are less inclined to.
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GG
Ahahahahahaha – sorry, just had to get that off my chest and climb off the floor into my chair again.
Fewer schools?! I didn’t realise one or more of La Mare, Beaucamps, St Peter Port, or St Sampsons (the latter two of course one happy family) were built since the blossoming of the finance industry 20 years ago.
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The Man
You are quite right in you thoughts about cake and eating it.
In the first place the cake kindly (Given) to us is Dougy, undercooked, not tasty, and sawdust could describe it’s contents.
Now Guernsey cake is a well thought out cake, used for centuries, and fairly cheap to make and is nourishing.
we call it Gâche, the Others say Gosh!
I know what I Prefer; having the cake and eating it.
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