Policy Council wants a base at heart of EU
Saturday 26th September 2009, 2:29PM BST.
THE Policy Council wants £200,000 to establish a base in Brussels.
It is one of eight initiatives, costing £1.6m., that it recommends in the States Strategic Plan to go ahead next year.
Chief Minister Lyndon Trott said Guernsey must be prepared to engage with the ‘players’ in the European Union differently to benefit Guernsey’s economy.
The Brussels office would be part of the external relations team’s plan to engage directly with the EU, the European Commission and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.
‘Developing an office in Brussels is one possibility and we would not want to exclude any other options whilst developing this initiative,’ said a spokesman.
‘What is required is an identifiable ongoing presence in Brussels. This may be achieved by a number of different means.’
Deputy Trott is in discussions with Jersey’s chief minister, Terry Le Sueur, to collaborate on the idea.
It is not part of Jersey’s business plan.
The Policy Council has not released details of how an office would be staffed.
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wow…I am stunned! recognition that we are controlled by forces far larger than us, and an apparent recognition that we need to engage…..I am impressed
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Peter I have been warning about the growing menace of the EU for 15 years, Her Majesties government who are supposed to protect our interests now serve another master, the UK has signed away its right as a self governing nation through several treaties and has passed the sovereignty of its people to the un-elected commissars (some people call them commissioners) in Brussels. We now have UK government ministers actively working with these commissars in the EU to force change upon us. It is driven by envy and resentment that we have avoided coming under their direct control so they intend to control us by other means. I have been told by States Members and members of the public that I was just scaremongering I will repeat again what was said to Gerard Batten MEP by a French MEP in Brussels “The Channel Islands are a geographical anomaly that cannot be allowed to continue” 2005. When asked by Gerard to elaborate he was told the “he would see” The attacks on us will continue and while I agree with the external relations group of which I am a member that we might have to have stronger representation in Brussels to safeguard our interests jealousy and ignorance are hard enemies to slay.
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Derpooty Jones – thanks for that. I’m fully roused now. I have my pitchfork in one hand and a picture of Perrot on a stick in the other, ready to sally forth in a kayak to teach those Commies a lesson.
I have to wonder about this “jealousy” line, though. It is often repeated by the Gibas of this world.
It isn’t jealousy, is it? Let’s be honest with the public, Mr Jones, and not this disingenuous tubthumping that serves to speed up our decline.
I’m up for a fight with Evil if you are. I have a trumpet and I’m ready to parp myself all the way to Brussels! I’m not prepared for those sprouts to covet my expensive house and second rate bread! I don’t want them to enjoy OUR GUERNSEY beach sewage! Don’t they know I have children to feed?! Maybe they’re jealous that we have Arnald and they have Richard Littlejohn?
Tooooooooooooooot!
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The EU is envious of all successful things they do not control and secondly a high tax cartel which the EU is, can only function properly if choice of low tax jurisdictions is removed.
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I agree with Dave Jones that our position is made all the more difficult by the fact that the UK has delegated so many powers to Europe.
Nation states within the EU (particularly France and Germany) tend to look after their own interests ahead of those of the Union. The UK is rapidly losing the power to those vested interests and Guernsey’s position as an independent offshore finance centre does not sit comfortably within that new framework.
Not sure that a PR exercise in Brussels is going to change that though – I suspect EU politicians are more interested in shutting us down than engaging in a constructive dialogue.
An office in Brussles sounds like an expense we could do without at the moment.
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I simply can’t accept that Dave Jones.
The EU is not jealous. It is trying to make its governance more efficient.
It is the phrase that most rankles in all of this. You get public school numpties preaching some gospel of low/high tax competition (that has failed spectacularly, not one benefit cited in the theory has come about apart from self enrichment)(Daniel J Mitchell is one of your faves isn’t he Dave Jones?) and then every man and his dog who pretends they are being all clever repeat it ad nauseum.
It’s false. No one is jealous of our tawdry income, except those that find socially useless activities are suitable diversion for their intellect. No one is jealous of our lifestyle except those in countries that already have nothing and are the most seriously affected by secrecy jurisdictions.
No one is jealous of our government, our beaches, our air. No one is jealous of our banks.
You are making it up. Paul Meader was making it up. It’s like children comparing their dad’s car sizes.
Nobody even knows we exist apart from damning news articles.
Let’s get real, eh.
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Dave, you are from a different age, I run an international business, with offices in UK, Canada and South America and most people (i.e. majority in the world) dont even know that Guernsey exists, let alone are jealous of us. The island is controlled by global forces, we might as well be a cork on the sea, at least an office in brussels, engaging in british politics such as trott is doing might just allow us to raise a sail and put a rudder on our little island boat. throughing the sail and rudder overboard, and we will bob up and down along time to come, and who knows which shore we may get washed on? the New Federation of the Peoples Republic of Jersey perhaps?
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I’ll try and be nice, because you are not ‘blowing your top’ as so many do.
But yes a simple question.
What makes you think that we the true Guernsey people want British Ideas–
I do honestly believe it’s old rope.
‘The UK cannot manage the UK without the USA, so why try to lob the British ideas onto us.
I noticed yesterday how already international people who use the Havens have said they so do, because of the Tax relief—
No personal offence meant, but I do think that this ‘haven’¨business has gone a bit far.
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Eric
‘We the true Guernsey people’,what does that mean?
Where do you get this idea that Guernsey is superior to the rest of the world. Like it or like it not Guernsey is totally dependant on the UK and the rest of the world for its survival and we are very lucky to enjoy the life that we do because of them. So don’t bite the hand that feeds you!
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I have to agree with Paul. I’m a “true Guernsey person”. And I hate the way other true Guernsey people trot out the fact that xyz is not the Guernsey Way, not in keeping with what Guernsey people want blah blah blah.
I wonder if it’s more to do with “I’m a true old whinger and I don’t fancy this much next to my back garden”
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