Irony as a slimmed down States of Guernsey to be debated at Christmas

Friday, 4 October 2024 07:05

Deputy Mark Helyar is ready to test out the adage 'turkeys don't vote for Christmas' as he hopes to have a motion to slash deputy numbers by ten, debated just before the festive break.

Deputy Helyar is poised to lodge his requete, or petition, supported by six other deputies.

It has come about because he, and others, both in politics and in the island community, believe the current Assembly has achieved little, despite a longer than normal period in office:

"It's not making any headway because there are too many people with too many vested interests in keeping things as they are."

He admits there is both irony and mischief in the timing of the debate:

"I've asked the Presiding Officer if we can hear the requete in December, because obviously that's quite a fitting time."

"I don't expect this to pass but I do expect it, for the benefit of the public, to identify those deputies who don't want to see any change and are quite happy with things as they are, even though it's patently not working."

He says if the States did slim down, there would be many positives:

"You are going to have to put fewer people on committees and consolidate some of them. And it's relatively easy to see where that should happen."

"Smaller groups work better together. They are less likely to factionalise. They have to work together because they rely on each other, and you're not paying people to basically sit around and do nothing and express their opinions once a month. We need less politics and more competent administration."