'Alderney needs to set own agenda in the face of Brexit'

States of Alderney president Stuart Trought said he was striving to keep direct channels of communication open with the Ministry of Justice during the Brexit process to make sure issues specific to Alderney do not get overlooked when it comes to the UK's negotiations with the Channel Islands.

'What is extremely important for Alderney is that we are recognised as having the right to engage directly with the UK government when our interests are not totally aligned with those of Guernsey,' he said.

'Guernsey, for example, has been encouraged since 2009 to develop its international persona. In order to do that it has been given letters of entrustment by the British government. But those only apply to Guernsey and not the rest of the Bailiwick.

'For example, if there's a hard Brexit and we were going to fall back on the World Trade Organisation, then at the moment this is extended to Guernsey but it would not necessarily be extended to Alderney. So we need to have the right to engage with the UK government directly.'

It was important, he said, that the value of e-gaming and the contribution it made to the Bailiwick economy as a whole – some £50m. a year – was recognised and protected by the UK government.

Preserving the free movement of people to Alderney and residents' ability to travel to the Continent was another priority, he added.