P&R president Gavin St Pier said it was unsurprising that people were looking to move their families and businesses to Guernsey as the Brexit crisis tightened its grip on British politics in the wake of a seismic ruling by the UK Supreme Court yesterday.
The UK’s highest court ruled that the suspension of parliament by Boris Johnson for five weeks was unlawful – as was the advice to the Queen on the issue – quashing the so-called prorogation of parliament in a major blow to the prime minister.
Commons speaker John Bercow moved quickly to recall MPs for debate today, with the House of Lords also due to sit.
Meanwhile, Mr Johnson was expected to fly back from the United Nations climate summit in New York a few hours earlier than planned to face the music in Parliament amid calls for him to resign.
The prime minister said that he ‘strongly disagrees’ with the ruling but would respect the decision and get on with delivering Brexit by 31 October.
However, that timetable could be derailed by the prime minister becoming a ‘hostage’ in Number 10 and forced by MPs to seek a Brexit extension from the European Union. Some commentators even suggested a government of national unity was now a possibility, while attempts by the government for a short prorogation or recess of Parliament were also mooted. A no confidence vote by MPs in Mr Johnson was a further possibility, although opposition to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn becoming prime minister could stymie such a vote.
Reacting to the crisis engulfing the UK, Deputy St Pier tweeted: ‘Guernsey stands out as a solid rock of granite stability that we offer in the boiling, angry sea of turmoil, frustration and confusion that is UK politics today.
‘Is it any wonder that @LocateGuernsey has never been busier helping new residents relocate their businesses and families?’
Promotional agency Locate Guernsey, which is tasked with attracting high net worth individuals and businesses to the island, has seen dozens of relocations and more enquiries than during the whole of 2018 so far this year.
Deputy St Pier also said that the Supreme Court’s ruling was ‘significant’ for Guernsey insofar as the island’s status as a self-governing jurisdiction – through its relationship with the Crown – was based on respect for and adherence to constitutional precedent, rules and norms.
‘The UK Supreme Court judgement unanimously upholding constitutional propriety in relation to the manner in which their Parliament is prorogued is of significance to Guernsey.
‘Our constitutional relationship with Monarch rests on respect for centuries of constitutional precedent,’ tweeted the president of P&R.
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