P&R wants ‘certainty’ of election in 2021

Yesterday the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Guernsey rose by 18 from Saturday to 218.

No more deaths were reported over the weekend, so the total stands at nine, six confirmed from Covid-19 and three assumed to be caused by the coronavirus.

There haven been 1,421 negatives tests out of a total of 1,719 with 48 people, a rise of six over the weekend, having recovered.

A remote meeting of the States will take place for the first time tomorrow afternoon, with the postponement of the general election on the agenda.

The States’ Assembly and Constitution Committee has proposed pushing it back from this June until 21 October, with 16 June 2021 as another backup.

But P&R wants certainty now.

‘The Policy & Resources Committee is unanimously of the view that, on balance, and notwithstanding that it is a very significant decision for a government to extend its own term of office, that the community and economy will be better served by a definitive decision to extend the current political term for one year,’ it has said in an amendment being led by Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq.

‘It is difficult to state with certainty at this point that it will be possible both to hold the election in October 2020 and service the needs of government up to that point, including the production of the 2021 Budget and preparation for and support for a newly-elected political body.

‘Therefore, the committee is suggesting that the States agree its alternative proposal to reschedule the election until 16 June, 2021.

‘This will provide for continuity with the current politicians to steer the Bailiwick through what is an unknown period of extreme stress on the economy, public finances and the community in the context of the continuation of Brexit negotiations which as yet themselves have not been deferred by the primary parties.

‘It also provides the opportunity for the recovery of the public service that is now being stretched to meet extraordinary demands and will continue to be for an undetermined period to come.’

The agenda also gives members their first chance to scrutinise the raft of emergency regulations that have been made in response to the pandemic.

In other developments yesterday, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson left hospital after a week of treatment for the virus and will continue to recuperate at his country home, Chequers.

He spent three nights in intensive care at St Thomas’ hospital in London.

‘Although we mourn every day those who are taken from us in such numbers, and though the struggle is by no means over, we are now making progress in this incredible national battle against coronavirus,’ he said in a video posted to Twitter.

‘A fight we never picked against an enemy we still don’t entirely understand.’

The UK coronavirus death toll has now passed 10,000.