Alliance to press States

Monday 19th October 2009, 11:30AM BST.

Anthony Hemans AN ENTREPRENEUR is setting up a political pressure group.

Frustrated by the States’ performance and the lack of pressure from the electorate to bring change, Anthony Hemans has decided to take action.

‘My idea is born of a desire to galvanize them into better decision making, greater consideration of the electorate in every aspect, and an improved appreciation of costs and competitiveness,’ he said.

He is therefore forming a group called the Guernsey Reform Alliance.

Mr Hemans (pictured) said he heard complaints from many quarters but never saw them translated into action.

Deputies would be asked to sign up to the alliance to commit to its objectives and guidelines, as would future electoral candidates and members of the public who support it.

‘There are already a number of noble deputies who must get quite disheartened when they see the calibre of people they have to work with,’ he said.

‘What I would like to do is form a type of order which people could ally themselves to, with a number of believers in its manifesto.

‘This is without being party political, but they could indicate to the electorate they support the goals of the alliance.’

This was the answer the directionless States had been seeking, he said.

‘This way you can stay away from party politics but have some greater direction and steering and still maintain the merits of Guernsey’s consensus politics.’

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1
Paul Le Page

October 19, 2009 at 12:53 pm

A political organisation with Deputies among its members, a set of objectives and a manifesto that isn’t a political party? Sounds a lot like one to me.

Furthermore, if Deputies would not be obligated to toe the line with the Alliance when voting in the House, at face value it would seem to be little more than a political party without the whips. I’m not sure that my votes would be influenced by such an organisation as it wouldn’t have any teeth.

In fact although it has noble objective that I broadly agree with, I’m not quite sure what this organisation is trying to achieve. Either go the whole hog and form a party or stay with the current system.

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2
Ted

October 20, 2009 at 11:23 am

“Deputies would be asked to sign up to the alliance to commit to its objectives and guidelines, as would future electoral candidates and members of the public who support it.”

Isn’t that what members of political parties are required to do?

This is quite different from a pressure group, for example, which tries to influence policy from without public office. We already have some very vocal and influential pressure groups from the business community – some might say, too many and too influential.

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3
Dave Jones

October 20, 2009 at 1:22 pm

We have a very simple democracy in Guernsey, one in which anyone can stand for public office and once elected can become part of any changes the States as a whole see fit to make. It makes provision for people from all walks of life and every profession to be represented in the Islands parliament; it is a fantastic system and absolutely right for a small community such as ours.
If people wish to change the system we have, then get yourself elected and you will be in the right place to help make any changes that can get enough support.
Not through party politics which I believe the Guernsey people will resoundly reject, and in any event, who will select these candidates that will be deemed fit to stand for the party on the party manifesto?

I say this, if people who have come to settle here want a party political system then there is one 80 miles from here which might better suit your needs. The Guernsey people have not been clamouring for a change to a different system, in fact many of them mourn the day we changed from the old 52 committee system and the removal of parish rep’s from the States, a lot of people who have moved here are clamouring for change but I get very little demand for those changes from local people who speak to me, yes they want the States to behave more corporately and to save money where it can, and they moan justifiably on occasions about the usual things that upset Guernsey people but I will tell you what unites local people more rapidly than anything and that is when they are being told to do or change something by people who have settled here. Every four years if the public wish they can throw out the whole entire membership of the States and start afresh the politicians hold the power the people gave them for 4 years and at the end of that time it is handed back to the people who will decide who or whether they will entrust to others for a further 4 year term, thus the will of the people is served. I am not trying to be divisive in this matter and of course anyone is at liberty to attempt to form any political party or pressure group they choose, however Guernsey people are not described as stubborn for nothing and it will be their choice in the end just as it should be.

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4
kevin

October 20, 2009 at 6:43 pm

there are enough groups of one kind or another trying to influence states members as it is. lets face it all these businessmen care about is making money for themselves. i certainly won’t be voting for any deputy who signs up for the g.r.a. some of the deputies to tend to vote in groups sometimes but that is not the same as this new alliance which seems to look like a political party. you let a political party into the states and it wont take that many of their members to vote together to have an undue influence on voting in ministers e.t.c and where will that end?

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5
Cliff

October 21, 2009 at 9:02 pm

Mr Hemans – why don’t you wait until the next election and put your money where your mouth is and offer yourself as a candidate. Surely that’s the only surefire way to bring about real change.

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