DEPUTY Dave Jones and Advocate Roger Perrot make unexpected bedfellows. But what has drawn them together is the Foot Review into the British offshore financial centres.

Like this newspaper, they believe that the political and finance sector response to it – that it was a particularly positive report – was rather missing the point.

Yes, Michael Foot could have said some hostile and harmful things and it is gratifying that the islands have again been recognised as a benchmark of excellence in the offshore arena.

But it is the report’s diktat that this island ought to raise more taxes, consult with the UK on what it might view as acceptable behaviour and generally start merging its fiscal policies with those of its larger neighbours that is not just offensive but deeply disturbing.

The reason is that it overlooks or ignores the relationship that the island has with the Crown and is straying into constitutionally dangerous areas.

Indeed, it is possible to detect the way the political landscape is shifting. Links between the islands and the UK are via the Ministry of Justice, which assumed responsibility for the Crown Dependencies from the Department for Constitutional Affairs, which took the role from the Home Office.

Officials there are well aware of the historical conventions cementing the relationship but if others in government are, too, they do not care.

Comments about the Foot Review from HM Treasury, which spoke of international determination to tackle tax and regulatory havens, was in marked contrast to those of Lord Bach, the minister responsible for the islands, who said that we had much to be proud of in terms of meeting high international standards.

It is easy to see what is happening here. While the MoJ acts as an honourable successor to the Home Office in understanding and reflecting the islands’ special relationship, there are others in the UK Government for whom 800 years’ of tradition and loyalty are irrelevant.

Yes, that may be nothing more sinister than other departments simply not understanding, but that does not lessen the potential harm that can cause.

More likely, however, is that the islands are now exposed to political ill-will, at least in certain quarters.