New political association has raised £6,000 so far

The largest donation of £3,000 was also the first one listed, made by founder member Deputy Carl Meerveld.

The group held a meeting on Thursday night at which it announced its name, revealed its branding, and set out its goals for the immediate future.

These will come to a head in June at a meeting where it intends to have its members determine its objectives, policies and operational structure.

One supporter, who asked not to be named, said that the association had come along at a time when many people were frustrated with the States.

‘For example, Education set out a three-school model and pursued that for 14 months and worked really hard.

‘If they had been told to look into two schools they could have done it.’

He added that the handling of other issues such as transport and tourism had angered islanders.

The association would give people a voice. ‘It’s a chance for people to have meetings and put their points across,’ he said.

There was support online, too: ‘If the majority of islanders don’t want to be involved then it will fall on its face. If, however, the majority agree that the current bunch of individuals, working on individual projects/policies which has created this split then for one I’m all for it,’ said Paul on the Guernsey Press website.

Alexandra was also behind the initiative: ‘Glad that this group is highlighting the problems we have in the States with some of the deadwood that have been elected in the cosy little parish system.’

But some were not supporting the association: ‘What sayeth the Ethics Committee?

‘No wonder that the States don’t get anything done.

‘Some of the deputies are out and about raising money for their own, and yet undefined, “causes”,’ wrote Alvin James Furrer on the Guernsey Press Facebook page.

‘This is not a shambles... This a full-blown blinking disgrace!’

‘Give me 150k and I will tell you anything you want to hear,’ wrote Rob Gibson.

‘Here’s another idea – how about they use their own wage from being deputies to fund it as it’s the same cause?’

Watcher was critical of the group on the Guernsey Press site: ‘We are already paying these guys to help to run Guernsey plc and I fail to see how an extra £150,000 can help them to do the job better.’

And claims that the association was not a political party no longer held up, according to PLP: ‘Definitely crossed the Rubicon into political party territory now.

‘I’m just wondering what they need £150k for when other deputies manage to get their message across without it.’

n Now that the Islanders Association has some funding, it will apply to be registered as a non-profit making organisation, said Deputy Meerveld: ‘In order to do that, you need money,’ he said.

He added that while it is labelled as a ‘charity’ on its GoFundMe page, this was because the category they had to choose when setting up the page was for ‘non-profit making organisation/charity’ and the ‘charity’ title was then added by the site.