AN ATTEMPT by Deputy John Gollop to persuade the States to embark on a second review of the machinery of government is an interesting observation on how little progress has been made since Advocate Peter Harwood’s original panel published its definitive proposals on reform eight years ago this month.

The reason – this probably goes without saying – is that the Assembly of the day fudged the issue and the island now has a mishmash system, including pretend ministers, that is probably even more more flawed than its predecessor.

Harwood’s eminent team identified lack of political leadership as the key weakness to be addressed, and that remains the case.

His panel went on to determine that any leader needed the support of a group of politicians to help formulate and implement policy and they should be bound by principles of collective responsibility.

Such a council of ministers exercising executive government needed scrutiny by States members and that reducing the House to just 42 (including the Alderney representatives) would ensure there were enough deputies not bound by collective responsibility to be able to scrutinise ministers ‘whilst not necessarily capable of threatening the stability of government’.

In many respects, it must be depressing for Harwood Panel members to see their hard work ignored and the fundamental weaknesses they proposed correcting not merely remaining but the consequences of them actually worsening.

Deputy Gollop’s attempt at rekindling a kind of Harwood II is, however, totally unnecessary.

Since the original work was disregarded, the States has commissioned various reports to deal with specific issues and problems and in every case the reviewer has concluded that the problem being considered is simply a symptom of an unworkable system of government.

No operation can operate effectively without executive leadership and that is also true of political assemblies.

To date, however, Guernsey’s political process insists that it alone can buck that trend, despite all the evidence to the contrary.

Even when the States gives clear instructions, as on paid parking, the Environment Department or any other members can ignore it and escape censure.

And the taxpayer picks up the price, in lost time and wasted money, while their elected representatives sit idly by.