Election outcome not about smear campaign

THE election has been and gone and we have a new conseiller in retired diplomat Andrew Bache. He has had some experience of government in Sark, having been a co-opted member of General Purposes and Advisory, and is clearly game for yet more punishment, although I have no doubt that if our frequent discussions are anything to go by he'll take it with his customary good humour.

Sark politics wouldn't be the same without someone throwing toys out of the pram and this year's election proved no exception.

No sooner had the results been announced than Peter Cole's failure to get re-elected was attributed to an alleged smear campaign by the Sark Newsletter, which is edited by Kevin Delaney of Sark Estate Management.

Mr Cole was elected two years ago in 28th place - there are 28 seats in Chief Pleas - after a recount and to many people here it was as plain as a pikestaff that if one of the seven non-sitting candidates was successful then his place in the legislature was probably the most vulnerable - and so the results proved.

To suggest that anything written in any publication led to his failure to secure enough votes to gain re-election is positively insulting to the 300 and more people who turned out to vote.

Sark's electorate - individually and collectively - is well able to make up its own mind on who it wants to sit in Chief Pleas and on this occasion, just as it did in 2008 and will do again in 2012, it made its views known.

While discussing the results with Sark Chamber of Commerce president Bob Parsons, he told me he was concerned that a television interview with one of the candidates screened on election day might have given a somewhat erroneous impression.

'The interview suggested that the island goes into hibernation in October and does not reopen for business until Easter of the following year,' said Mr Parsons. 'Nothing could be further from the truth. Sark is open for business all year round and an increasing number of hotels, restaurants and other businesses welcome visitors during the less-busy months, when the island remains an attractive venue for those seeking a different type of break.'

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SARK'S Christmas lights were switched on a week ago by Father Christmas and Miss Sark Princess Leilani Chatterton. Before they pressed the plunger - to a look of relief on the face of David Gordon-Brown of Sark Electricity - a goodly crowd heard pupils from Sark School sing some seasonal excerpts from their Christmas performance of Busy Busy Bethlehem.

Werner Rang, the sprightliest 90-year-old most of us here have ever met, played carols and other appropriate music on the accordion, while his grandson, Matthew, arrived driving a suitably decorated tractor and link box bringing Father Christmas and his young assistant.

There was hot food and drinks, mostly provided free of charge by Kristina Southern, and presents for each of the children who attended. I have to say that, in the light of the rugby scrum I've witnessed at similar events before I moved to Sark - where some of those eligible clearly believed it was a contest to see who could get the largest number of gifts - these kids were extremely well behaved. A credit to their parents and teachers, as well as themselves.

This annual event is a lovely way to start the festive season and it's to be hoped that the Chamber of Commerce raises sufficient funds to secure its future.