P&R member ‘furthers island’s cause’ at Labour conference

The Policy & Resources member has been in Liverpool this week and met several MEPs from the Labour Party to discuss the effects of Brexit as well as responsible taxation.

The conference ended yesterday with Mr Corbyn using his closing speech to attack ‘political and corporate establishment’ for its role in the financial crash of 2008.

The UK’s exit from the European Union is set to take place in March 2019 and the next general election which could see a change in the country’s government will take place in 2022.

Deputy Le Tocq, the minister for exterior affairs, said he aimed to build upon existing relationships with the party during his time at the conference.

‘It is an unusually challenging but crucial time for UK politics, therefore it is paramount that we continue to engage with a wide spectrum across the UK Parliament, which is playing a more significant role in shaping the Brexit process.

‘It has been my aim to seek to build upon our existing relationships with the Opposition which have increased over the last few months to ensure that our voice is heard and our unique constitutional relationship with the Crown is not misunderstood.

‘The Labour Party conference in Liverpool has provided some good opportunities to continue constructive dialogue with a range of Labour MPs and MEPs to further Guernsey’s cause in this respect.

‘These have included Stephen Timms MP, who sits on the Exiting the European Committee, Bambos Charalambous MP, who is a member of the Justice Committee and Alex Mayer MEP, a member of the Committee for Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON), primarily again to reiterate Guernsey’s interests, particularly in relation to Brexit following the most recent developments in the UK-EU negotiations.

‘I emphasised that an orderly exit from the EU for the UK is in Guernsey’s interests, highlighting the areas where we will need assistance to find suitable solutions should the UK’s new relationship with the EU differ significantly from our current scenario planning.

‘I also took the opportunity to highlight to MPs, including Seema Malhotra in her capacity as an officer on the All Party Parliamentary Group on Responsible Tax, Guernsey’s long-standing policy commitment to meeting international standards as they evolve, emphasising our desire to ensure that there is a level playing field for all.

‘I explained that our policy position on beneficial ownership was consistent with this approach.

‘In this regard, I underlined that Guernsey should be seen as part of the solution in helping to raise standards of regulation, and that we are ready to engage further on this matter with all interested parties believing our ethos and methodology to work best in achieving the desired outcomes,’ he said.

n Policy & Resources president Deputy Gavin St Pier wrote to Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday asking for further engagement ahead of Brexit.