‘Islanders’ members entitled to know where money spent’

Peter Ferbrache said that Deputy Meerveld had not specified the expenses he intended to claim, so his request could not be met.

‘If funds are to be spent, members are entitled to know where the money has gone,’ he said.

Deputy Ferbrache was one of three members of the association’s executive committee who resigned on Monday, and it has emerged that they had asked fellow committee member Deputy Meerveld to stand down himself.

After some correspondence he agreed, but told the Guernsey Press that he had asked for his ‘reasonable expenses’ incurred on behalf of the association be met.

This did not happen, so as a result Deputy Ferbrache, Deputy Joe Mooney and committee chairman Harvey Marshall resigned instead.

But they have all remained as members of the association, and the two deputies were confident that the dispute would not have an adverse effect on the group as a whole.

The association set out to raise £150,000 in donations, of which it has so far collected £25,690.

Deputy Ferbrache said that if it got to the point where the association collapsed, whatever money remained would be returned.

‘We maintain financial probity,’ he said, and added that money spent from the sums raised would be accounted for.

‘The accounts will be published, but we’ve only been going six months.’

Deputy Mooney said that the association was strong and had good support. ‘The referendum was a great success,’ he said.

He added that he was not aware of anyone leaving as a result of the committee resignations.

He said the plan had been for the executive committee to be in place for no more than a year, and they took up the roles at the June launch of the group ‘to get it going’. He reiterated that the dispute that led to the split was about the responsibilities of committee members and not personal issues.