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Key questions for Islanders
- Do you believe Guernsey needs to be more independent?
- Do you believe that Guernsey must follow all UN directives on Sustainability?
- Should Guernsey seek closer ties with the European Union or indeed with Jersey?
- Is our current Population Management regime fit for purpose?
when does it become disproportionate to the benefit it might provide?
The decision of the UK to exit the European Union set in train a new responsibility for our External Relations team. Although we had only ever been associate members ourselves, we relied very heavily on the UK for a number of International matters, many of which they in turn ceded to the EU in whole or in part. The UK has had to re-assume those responsibilities and in practice, Guernsey now has to pursue or certainly ratify it’s own trade agreements, albeit to some extent – as a consequence of the UK doing the same.
Furthermore, for some considerable time, either at the behest of previous Assemblies or to maintain our standing as a well-regulated jurisdiction, Guernsey has had to sign up to a number of UN Charters and abide by their objectives and reporting requirements. With increasing regularity, Guernsey is being coerced into accepting the imposition of global or International rules and in many cases, they are not capable of being adapted for a small subscale jurisdiction in terms of their proportionality. This all comes with a financial and resource price tag and in the case of some – changes to our society, business flexibility and potentially our right to self-determination.
Such a direction of travel certainly impacts Guernsey, but in terms of proportionality, can have much greater impact on Alderney and Sark as members of the Bailiwick. Their lack of economies of scale inevitably means further administration falls to Guernsey on their behalf.
Keeping pace with all of this requires skilled resource of course, but it begs the question ‘when does it become disproportionate to the benefit it might provide?’ Importantly, what metrics should we be using to assess that by? Probably even more fundamental is determining what Guernsey wishes its place in the world to be. A very good example of this whole dilemma is the recent Moneyval assessment. In order that we might continue to be recognised as a safe and well-regulated Financial Centre, we had to undertake this external assessment and meet a whole slew of new regulations leading to the enactment of 82 pieces of new legislation and overall cost to Government of some £23 million. Indeed, it is widely felt that our Finance sector has to spend more money on Compliance than in bringing in new business.
And let us not forget the more historic role of the External Affairs team of continually monitoring and maintaining our relationship with the UK Government and our nearer neighbour – France. Bearing in mind that these other jurisdictions have their own priorities and of course, these can change with every new political administration. More recently, there has been a major shift in our relationship with Jersey occasioned by the different choices each Island has made in appointing its sea links partner. To what extent that decision will bleed into the hitherto joint working between the Islands on its UK and international relationships remains to be seen.
There is yet another dimension arising primarily from Brexit but not exclusively so: that of Visas. It is now no longer possible for European citizens to simply pass through the UK and work in Guernsey. Later this year, it will finally be necessary for French tourists to visit only with a valid passport (something few have). Both of these restrictions impact our economy. Something called the Vienna Convention means we now have to have regular vehicle checks (similar to the UK MOT), if Guernsey residents want to take their cars into Europe in future.
I could go on but there are two takeaways that Islanders (and Candidates) need to recognise:
- firstly, there is a growing cost to Government to keep pace with these external impositions upon us and second
- That cost eventually impacts Islanders, either through taxes or individually through direct costs or limitations and bureaucracy when travelling off island, or employing non-islanders.
The foregoing is yet another reason for Guernsey to establish a clear vision of where it wants to be on the International stage and where its red lines are for the future. That is a conversation we have not had.
