‘Shock and awe blew election in Sark’
Monday 15th December 2008, 2:29PM GMT.
SARK NEWS could have been the final nail in the coffin for the Barclays’ political ambitions in the island, according to some residents.
November’s pre-election special of the Brecqhou owners’ newsletter had asked islanders to avoid voting for certain candidates, listing 12 they felt posed a serious threat to Sark’s future because of their objections to the brothers’ investments there.
‘The thing about Channel Islanders is if you tell them what to do, they will go and do the opposite. No one likes to be told what to do and they especially don’t like to be told who they should and shouldn’t vote for. I think that antagonised a lot of people,’ said conseiller-elect Paul Armorgie (pictured), who owns Stock’s Hotel.
‘Sark News was an alarming piece of propaganda that rubbished a lot of well-known people. My name was in it as one of the people who should be voted in. I wasn’t asked if they could use it and I wouldn’t be surprised if that had lost me some votes.’
The delivered publication was the Barclays’ main campaigning tool and was known for its no-holds-barred commentary. It once referred to one farmer as a feudal Talibanist.The island has no libel laws.
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Just wondered what the legal implications would be if the barclays left their properties in sark empty for a while. Are their any local laws that could force them to sell them back to Sark? or could Sark just take them back?
I know that the Barclay representative on the island is going back for “talks” – if you dont give us what we want we will financially bankrupt Sark by keeping our propeties empty for ever and not letting anyone else buy them. Sark keep strong and dont give into these bullys. Barclay brothers take your losses and go, if you keep bullying Sark you will get what you hate the most- publisity and a lot of it.
But on the other hand they have done one good thing for Sark – I bet it has never had so much advertisment around the world.
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With regards to caz’s comments on the propertys owned by the Barclay twins. If the people of sark did not want the twins there, why sell them the propertys. The previous owners of the propertys are as of now laying back in their chairs counting the profits from the sale of the propertys and do not really care for the working men and women of sark. So why should the Barclays adopt a different approach. Lets face it, the Barclays have been heavy handed at times, but while the rest of the world faced an unkowning time with regards to employment and investment, if sark had tried to work with the Barclay twins and their man on sark. Sark would have had its pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
Now after everything that has happened on sark in full glare of the press, who would want to spend even half as much as the Barclay twins did on sark. Mistakes were made by both parties, and it seems the “anti-barclay bridgade” has won.
From my piont of view, only one thing on sark that has changed, is that the “sark lark” carries on under a new title, which is “the pathertic elected”.
Sark asked for the barclay twins to go, and they have gone. And guess what, sark is exactly back where it was before the barclays turned up, in the dark ages. I hope they enjoy them selves there, because if I had the money to invest, it certainly would not be on sark.
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If the Barclay twins do not want to invest in Sark any more as Knights of the Realm they should do the gentlemanly thing and sell their interests to persons more in tune with the people and traditions of Sark.
This would be an honourable and sensible way out for all concerned.
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As a Jerseyman, I love Sark – and not the Barcley’s way. From the general gist of people you speak to and hear in Jersey, everyone is backing the islanders and deplore what the Barcleys have done. It’s really got people’s backs up. Us Channel Islanders don’t like being told what to do. The Barcley’s have shot themselves in the foot because their name is now mud – they’ve done themselves no favours. Sark’s immediate and long term future should be on it’s own terms and not by any sweet talking atempts from the Barcley’s trying to worm there way back into the Sark system. Fine – leave your hotels closed if you like, I will certainly be visiting Sark next summer and will happily spend my money at the remaining local business’.
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Sark is not quite back where it was, as Sark no longer has several properties, and some key, within ownership.
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Well I never; I am getting on in years; and in all those years I have enjoyed tales like “King Arthur, the bloke who made a table round so men could sit a round a table:
But what interested me muchly, was the fact that all those nights were honourable and helpful and above all Gentlemen: Note that.
Now the ruling Monarch also dishes out KNIGHTHOODS, and I suspect she thinks like many think, that the receivers will honour the fact, and do as all others have done:
Alas how wrong I have been all these years.
Could I have an honour please!!!
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Sark residents dig in deep, you have done the right thing and voted against these people as a lifelong Telegraph reader it pains me to stop buying, but as a show of support and in order not to put money into their pockets this I will do.
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Sark has a unique and envious way of life (NOT in the dark ages) as has been suggested above. It has always had a STRONG sense of community which is very necessary on such a small island. Which the Barclays obviously have no concept of. Since when did the Seigneur throw his weight around in such a manner? The writing was on the wall many years ago when so much of Sark was bought up by the Barclays. Definitely their agenda was obvious then and is now VERY transparent. To those living in Sark STAY STRONG.
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Asa direct decendant of the first Sark settlers (circa 1565) I feel it necessary to put a few things straight about about the recent invasion (no, not the 1940′s one) My ancestors have run Sark successfully for 450 years until the Barclays took over Brecqhou (part of Sark) and built their fantasy Disneyland castle on it meaning that nobody can set foot on our sister island unless invited.Since that time our Feudal Government who worked hard and largely unpaid for the good of the islandhave been hounded by The Barclays expensive lawyers and forced to change everything.They demanded democratic change and eventually we were forced to comply under human rights laws.Leading up to our first democratic vote we were subjected for 18 months to their vitriolic newsletter Sark News whether we wanted it or not!Backed by the Barclay Twins and edted by a Mrs S Oliver who nobody here knows and whose address is a PO box in Guernsey. This publication has slagged off all the pillars of the local community and have had the cheek to tell us residents which way to vote in no uncertain terms. (Sark News can be seen on http://www.sarknews.com if you want to know why the peasants revolted)When the vote did not go their way they simply picked up their ball and took it home.Now I don’t know the morals of people who can throw so many people with families to suport out of work two weeks before Christmas and also close the playschool which working mothers rely on. I believe they were awarded their knighthoods for their charitable work! The Barclay Twins rarely set foot on Sark and didn’t bother to register for the electoral role, so much for democracy!They do not mingle or suport any of our social events even though they would originally have been warmly welcomedby the friendly people of sark. Their constant complaints and litigation against our lovely island Hall, which would be the envy of many small towns in the UK has also been their downfall, along with Sark News. I wuld also like to point out that Sark has no civil service , no unemployment benefit, no pensions, and no income tax to fund these things.Having said all that, Sark has a huge community spirit and nobody thrown out of work by the Barclays will starve.The Sark people have voted, the island has always been run welland still will be. The Barclays have divided the island but not as badly as portrayed in the media people will always care for each other here. At this point I would like to point out that we do pay tax otherwise the island could not function.In the last eighteen months we have been critisised for our dirt roads whilst they have wrecked by overloaded tractors and trailers carrying excessive load to Barclay building sites (and not so loaded, I’ve seen Sark News delivered by tractor and trailer.)No one would deny the need for investment in Sark, however, being told who we must elect to Chief Pleas is a price too far
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The Barclay’s pushed for Sark to become democratic forgetting that in a democracy people vote for who they want not who they are told to vote for. It appears from the outside that because people didn’t vote the way the Barclay’s wanted they are now trying to economicly starve Sark out the get their own way. Perhaps the next Sark election should be monitered by the UN.
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It looks as though the Barclays wanted an excuse to pull out of Sark because it’s obvious that if you try to tell Islanders who not to vote for they will immediately do exactly that.
So the objective was achieved
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Can the newly elected Sark ‘government’ not place a compulsary purchase order on the vacant Barclay properties? Oh the irony!
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Put in a nut shell Paul.
Maybe the biggest problem all along has been the Barclay’s representative on island’ A man who,from his comments and demands of his workforce seems to be a very confrontational chap and maybe he should stick to running their building businesses on island as opposed to trying to interfere in politics.
I am sure that the friendly welcoming people of Sark did not need someone who came on island to supervise and run the brothers businesses, plus the editor of the Sark News, telling them how and for whom to vote.
The Island took democracy on board then found that they were being ‘advised’ as to who were suitable candidates to vote for and how to actually use their democracy.
How can a guy who has been on island for such a short time be in a position to know what other residents are like and whether they are worth voting for? Extremely presumptuous and confrontational. I am sure that the Barclays and the islanders would have fudged along nicely had he and the Sark News not decided to tell islanders what to do when.
Let us hope that the residents and Barclay twins can get together and decide to look after each other for the benefit of all islanders, their employees and the retired element on island who really have no need of the Barclays but could maybe enjoy the island clean up and improvements that the Barclays have bought to Sark. Get your heads together, maybe without their Manager on board, and I am sure that you will all work and live alongside each other to the benefit of all islanders on Sark.
Reference the Island Hall issue, I know that many, many village halls on the mainland are attached to village schools and all certainly have bars in them thus the income from the bars helps maintain the village halls. How else are the local authorities able to pay for the halls? more taxation paid for by people who do not use them? Those that use help to pay for the up keep.
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I say the 100 year lease is the end game
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My wife and I look in from the outside having travelled the Channel Islands extensivly. We understand the Sark culture and have seen the Barclays fortress on Brequou and read about their involvement in Sark. Sark is a beautiful place and the last stronghold of people rule. We wish the natives of Sark much strength in their struggle to retain their feudal democracy as life should be lived. God bless you Sark residents……keep the faith and keep Sark to yourselves.
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Another election the Barclay’s have lost – tho they may not mind this time…..The Independent on Sunday ran a poll for ‘The Most Ludicrous Briton of 2008′ with the Barclays nominated “for trying to impose a Mugabe-style government on the people of Sark – and for destroying the local economy by taking their toys home with them.” Sadly, or happily, they didn’t get any votes and ‘lost’ to ‘Urban yoof’…Jonathan Ross and Cherie Blair…..But they were the only Channel Islanders nominated….
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/a-horrible-whos-who-most-ludicrous-briton-poll–your-verdict-1206398.html
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