Island is not at the bottom of any Brexit pile, says Lord Keen
GUERNSEY’S interests are being looked after in London during Brexit, Lord Keen has said, as he starts his visit to the Bailiwick.
Lord Keen is the Ministry of Justice spokesman in the House of Lords, as well as the minister with responsibility for the Crown Dependencies. He is spending three days in the Bailiwick to listen to concerns.
Yesterday he was met at the airport by the Lt-Governor, Vice Admiral Sir Ian Corder, before going on to meet Bailiff Sir Richard Collas, HM Procureur Megan Pullum and Policy & Resources president Deputy Gavin St Pier.
Lord Keen said that Brexit had been a big issue and he did not believe Guernsey was at the bottom of the priority list during the negotiations.
‘There is not question of leaving anyone behind or at the bottom of the pile,’ he said.
He said there was a meeting taking place between Guernsey and the Department for Exiting the European Union in early October.
‘Hopefully they will feel they are being kept fully informed,’ he said.
Today he will be travelling to Alderney and then tomorrow he will go to Sark.
‘There is the question of the relationship between Guernsey and Alderney and the 1948 Agreement,’ he said.
‘It’s being reviewed. We are not directly engaged with that. Clearly we have an interest to have that resolved to the mutual satisfaction of both Alderney and Guernsey.’
With Sark he said there were no specific issues he was looking to address, but he was keen to listen.
‘I’m going to Sark with an open mind and to listen to what their concerns are,’ he said.
He said on a small island, the problems they faced might feel magnified to the people living there, so it was important to take all concerns raised seriously.
