‘Being part of British family brings benefits’

Policy & Resources president Gavin St Pier’s comments were made following Friday’s British-Irish Council meeting and an open letter written by Robin Walker MP to the Guernsey Press.

The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Exiting the EU said the UK was committed to agreeing a Brexit deal with the EU that is in the interests of ‘the entire British family’.

Deputy St Pier said this was an opportunity to address ‘inconsistencies’ that have evolved over the years.

‘Since the decision of the UK in June 2016 to withdraw from the EU, I have seen at first-hand the significance of the BIC forum and the benefits that derive from it grow, particularly for Guernsey as a smaller jurisdiction,’ he said.

‘It provides an invaluable opportunity to enhance our engagement with representatives from across the UK and Ireland and to continue to strengthen these relationships during the negotiation process between the UK and the EU to ensure that Guernsey’s interests continue to be heard and taken into account.

‘I took the opportunity to reiterate our constitutional position, namely that the UK cannot legislate for us without our consent, and they have a responsibility to represent our interests internationally, even where they differ from their own.

‘I also emphasised that if the term “British family” is to have real meaning, this means treating us fairly and equally when it comes to such issues as student fees, NHS charging, access to Heathrow, bank ring-fencing and access to financial markets. These inconsistencies have evolved over recent years and now is the time to resolve them.’

Deputy St Pier said it was critical that the whole family of administrations in the British Isles respected the long-established and formal relationships that we share, including Guernsey’s constitutional relationship with the UK.

‘I also welcome the sentiment set out in Robin Walker’s letter in the Guernsey Press, which sets out the Department for Exiting the EU’s commitment to supporting Guernsey’s interests through the Brexit negotiations, including looking towards the future,’ he said.

‘This work extends the areas of agreement in the negotiations, which cover the impact of the end of Protocol 3, as outlined in that letter.

‘This commitment supports the work that the Crown Dependencies are undertaking with HM Treasury in relation to the finance sector, where we will remain a third country but will seek to strengthen our trading links once the new framework of the economic relationship between the UK and EU is agreed.’