‘Petitioning the Queen could be the solution’

The prospect of the petition has been raised by Nikki da Costa, the ex-director of legislative affairs at No 10, in comments to the Guernsey Press.

‘The relationship between the Crown Dependencies and the UK has been founded on consent and self-governance, and they have no representation in Westminster,’ she said.

‘The government’s view has long been that the UK should only legislate in the most serious of circumstances, and the breakdown of good governance.

‘If the Speaker allows the amendment and MPs rebel to inflict this amendment, despite previously conceding the distinct relationship the Crown Dependencies have with the UK, the government can do little to stop them in parliament. In other times you could potentially abandon the legislation, but this is a Brexit Bill.

‘It is a very serious challenge to the current constitutional relationship, one of essential independence from the UK, and raises the prospect of a petition to the Queen at the very least.’

A group of MPs has renewed efforts in the House of Commons to require Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man introduce public registers of beneficial ownership in the name of transparency by the end of next year. Campaigners claim it would reveal who owns assets in the islands.

However, the move through proposed amendments to the UK’s Financial Services (Implementation of Legislation) Bill has sparked a fierce backlash from the Crown Dependencies on constitutional and regulatory grounds.

Policy & Resources president Deputy Gavin St Pier has warned that the UK risks acting like a ‘colonial power again’ if it breaks constitutional conventions that it does not legislate for Guernsey on domestic matters.

Such extra-territorial legislation would be ‘inoperable’, he said as he led the fightback and posted combative posts on social media.