GUERNSEY is not letting itself be ‘dictated to by the United Kingdom’, the chief minister said in a statement yesterday. Deputy Laurie Morgan said claims made by a leading lawyer that politicians were too willing to sit back and be patted on the head by the Department of Constitutional Affairs were unfair.

‘Roger Perrot’s view that our ministers are simply too cosy in respect of their connections with their UK colleagues’ may well be his view. But his view is wrong,’ said Deputy Morgan.

‘It is important to recall that only last December the States accepted the Policy Council’s lead by putting ﾓasserting Guernsey’s independent identityﾔ as number one of three fundamental priorities in the Government Business Plan.’

Deputy Morgan said this involved:

* Creating a well-resourced political and executive team to give the matter a greater level of attention, and

* Exploring various options for constitutional co-operation that might underpin Guernsey’s and the Channel Islands’ approach to external affairs over the next 25 years

Ozannes’ senior partner Advocate Perrot last week called on Guernsey to amend its ties with the United Kingdom.

He no longer trusted local politicians to look after the island’s best interests under the present constitutional arrangements and wanted the island to seek dominion status with a written constitution, a view supported by 14 other prominent islanders.

Speaking yesterday, Mr Perrot said he was pleased to hear the Policy Council was to explore various future options but it had to be for longer than 25 years.

‘I think that we want to be thinking longer term than that and I am not exactly hyper-ventilating with pleasure that the council wishes to create a ﾓpolitical and executive teamﾔ.

‘Quite frankly, this is too important to be dealt with by the passing whims of politicians.

‘Rather, a commission should be set up at the joint behest of the States of Jersey and Guernsey to examine the issues and make recommendations.’

But Deputy Morgan – who refused to be interviewed – said it would be inappropriate to jump to an instant decision.

‘The Policy Council has such matters at the top of its priorities. It intends to consider matters in a full but very measured way. This is essential on matters of such importance.

‘It is also clear from the Government Business Plan that the intention is to look at constitutional matters from a Channel Island perspective.

‘Roger Perrot is calling for co-operation with Jersey – this is already included in the plan.’

Mr Perrot added: ‘Whatever is done for Guernsey should be done by us, not by the government of another country which has its own political agenda and its own political distractions.

‘To reduce it to a logical absurdity, if we are to make a mess, it should be our own and not somebody else’s.

‘I don’t believe that we would make a mess by negotiating in our own right.’

* Judy Beaugeard, one of 14 people identified in a letter supporting the call for a debate on the Bailiwick-UK relationship, has asked us to say that she did not actually sign the document.