HOW many deputies does it take to run an island?

No, it’s not the beginning of a bad joke but a serious question. When the issue hit the headlines following a talk I’d given to the Chamber of Commerce, I was surprised but pleased, as it deserves serious consideration.

I was also surprised at the strong support from business for my suggestion of fewer deputies.

To be honest, the Chamber of Commerce isn’t my natural habitat and my speech had been deliberately provocative, explaining where I thought the business community was going wrong, from population growth to executive government. Given my political differences with Guernsey’s business groups, our agreement over the benefits of a slimmer States is significant.

The Guernsey Press story focused on the cash savings of having fewer deputies. While this wasn’t my main point, it is still a very valid one. The States faces a structural deficit and is going to have to increase taxes and charges. Islanders will react angrily if they don’t see an equal effort being put into squeezing spending. Doing that without savage cuts in services will require a focus on efficiency and doing more with less.

This isn’t going to be easy. There is fat in the system after two decades of plenty, but the public sector isn’t as bloated as some saloon bar pundits claim. If the politicians are to insist on their employees doing more with less, then it would be a good idea to lead by example. The cash savings may be modest but the act of leadership would be significant.

Anyway, if you look after the hundreds of thousands, the millions will look after themselves.

The main advantage of having fewer deputies would be more efficient and focused government. Having too many politicians leads to over-government, deputies trying to do each others’ jobs, and constant interference in service delivery. The politicians’ main job is to make policy, not implement it.

The clue is in their title.

It’s true that there used to be 55 States members, but back then all but a small core regarded politics as an important but subsidiary role in their lives.

They were also virtually unpaid. They grew their toms and attended the States for one day a month, plus a couple of half-day committee meetings. Forty-five full-time/busy part-time deputies are far too many.

So how many deputies do we need? If the only criterion is having enough politicians to take the necessary policy decisions for Guernsey, then it could be very few indeed. If you want to protect our consensus system of government and ensure no small group can achieve control of the States, then you need far more.

Gibraltar manages with just 17 parliamentarians.

True, they have a smaller population than Guernsey, but there’s roughly the same range of governmental responsibilities. However, they have an unashamedly executive system with party politics. So they have no problem with 10 politicians running The Rock, with the other seven in opposition.

Most islanders would, rightly, hate to see that sort of system here.

To guard against any single grouping taking control of the States you need sufficient members.

I believe this could be as few as 28, but I certainly haven’t advocated such a drastic reduction any time soon. Obviously, caution is needed, and my suggestion was 35 deputies, five from each electoral district, with a further review some years hence.

Some are concerned that a slimmer States could mean a dominant Policy Council. This is misguided. The council has no doctrine of collective responsibility, so on controversial issues which split the island, they will normally be equally split.

Also, any sensible slimming of the States would be mirrored by a slimming of the Policy Council.

With just seven or eight departments the council members would make up no greater a percentage of the States than they do now. This would also make the council itself more manageable.

Claims that growing workloads mean more politicians are needed on each committee are bizarre. All experience shows that smaller committees operate more efficiently.

The States has four constitutional options to mull over. Executive government? Most people/deputies don’t want it. Island-wide voting? Fraught with practical problems. No change?

Fine if you think it’s working well.

A slimmer States? My choice. Oh – and evening States meetings might help, too. A few deputies still in full-time employment would make it a lot more representative.