I have the power…
Tuesday 29th July 2008, 2:30PM BST.
CHIEF Minister Lyndon Trott refused to say yesterday whether he will defer signing a constitutional framework document with the UK pending a States debate on it. But he is to make a statement on the matter in the House tomorrow after receiving a letter signed by 26 deputies urging a delay.
Details of that statement will not be released in advance so critics of some of the wording of the understanding and his authority to endorse the document will have to wait until after the jurat’s election to hear what the situation is.
However, Deputy Trott (pictured) told the Guernsey Press that ‘I have nothing officially to sign at the moment,’ ending speculation that he had been prepared to rubber-stamp the framework today. He also rejected suggestions that he was not mandated to sign the document on behalf of the States.
Policy Council external relations policy and legal adviser Richard McMahon said he had no hesitation in advising that the chief minister was fully authorised to do so and said that the deputies’ letter claiming otherwise was based on a misreading of the Policy Council’s mandate.
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Interesting that in the Guernsey Press recently when this story was last in the news, that a states member said something about there not being any flexiblity on this while a “labour government was in power in the UK”. So, what’s the rush, they won’t be in for much longer. If the Guernsey people aren’t happy about this maybe the States should respect opinion and wait until there is a change in Westminster – and not rush headlong into something that will change the consitutional relationship with the UK forever. It could be the thin end of the wedge and once things are on the statute book – they are very difficult to remove.
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Deputy Trott’s reputation has taken a battering of late and, I would suggest, he is commonly perceived as dismissive of proper democratic process.
He would be doing himself (and the rest of us) a big favour if he agreed to a full States debate on this matter. This should not be a case of proving he has the power to over-ride the political system but rather an opportunity to for him to prove that his proposals are in the best interest of Islanders.
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So Trott is under ‘no obligation’ according to the PC’s external relations advisor to get States (democratic) approval for signing away Guernsey obligations to a foreign country!
So is the Executive government then?
It’s an appalling enditement of the States power structure that 26 Deputies have to sign a letter to even get sight of this document and discuss it. Our entire system is about signing away locals to foreigners, wether that be £100m in tax or whatever’s in this document.
It’s very much like the States signing away locals privacy to American prying eyes whenever they want without consulting people.
This is another dis-joint between the top jobs in the States and ‘the minows’ they purport to represent. Trotts leadership will further drive that wedge between people and the States. It’ll end the way Labours elitist out-of-touch governance has resuted in with the public now hating the government with a vengance (which will be seen at the next election).
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I am appalled by the behaivour of the Chief Minister in this affair. He has shown such arrogance and disrespect for the electorate and the due process of the States. Thank goodness he was stopped short of signing the constitutional framework document just in the nick of time.
Lyndon Trott has shown his tru colours. He is clearly in cohorts with the disgraced Labour party government regime in the UK.
Let’s take a lead from Sark and aim to retain our true independent spirit.
It’s time to hear from Dave Jones and Roger Perrot. I vote for strong local leadership and not a puppet of the UK government. Beware of the Treaty of Lisbon.
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There are two issues here.;
1. That somehow a person has been empowered to sign “agreements” with third parties without the States of Deliberation being consulted.
2. Our Charter with the Crown of England is worth hundreds of millions of pounds maybe billions and possibly priceless. England cannot become full members of the E.U. whilst they have autonomous dependents.
On the first issue the States of Deliberation need to remedy this situation as a matter of urgency.
On the second issue we should have very robust anti corruption laws in place at the earliest opportunity.
By the way does anyone know who drafted the legislation that empowers the Chief Minister with the ability to sign international agreements without recourse to the States of Deliberation?
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im very unhappy with some of the comments about this constitutional issue,im afraid its a sad indicator of how guernsey politics have gone wrong.guernsey people have not been asked if they want a new international idendity,no referendum has taken place,im afraid the states governs this island more for the banks and wealthy incomers than the majority,and the labour government is about as left wing as the ulster unionist party,this constitutional framework only says whats been the norm in writing ,except for the bit about guernsey being helped to have an identity on the international stage, without a referendum its clearly wrong.
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Has Lyndon Trott got the bottle to say no if any agreement hurts Guernsey? Has Dave Jones who has the unofficial title of Chief rottweiler and protector of Guernsey got the balls to make a stand against Lyndon if he thinks he has got it wrong?
What really worries me is the rush to sign an agreement which would most probably mean that the Channel Islands would be once again giving even more ground to make them absolutely powerless.
It is a well known fact that when New Labour came into office they walked all over the Islands with their new jackboots since their time in office the Islands have had many appeasers in the respective States.
The public should be made aware before any decision is taken by the States and it should be noted New Labour are at there very weakest so wait for the friends of the Channel Islands the Conservative party to do any deal.
Remember the Conservative Party protected the Islands and would have no truck with Europe to put any pressure on these Islands.
The minute that excuse of a Chancellor got into power the first thing he did in the very long list of incompetence was to bring us to the weak position we are in today.
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