'Lockdown was not what I stood for election for'
THE only politician to have been at the forefront of the island’s pandemic response since it started is stepping down from her role with the Civil Contingencies Authority.
Heidi Soulsby was the president of Health & Social Care when Covid-19 hit, but even after the 2020 election, relinquishing that job and becoming vice-president of the Policy & Resources Committee, she was retained on the CCA in an advisory role.
Now she felt now was the right time to step down.
‘I’m hugely grateful for the dedication and support provided by staff and political colleagues over the last two years as we’ve gone through unprecedented times together.’
While the HSC president is a member of the CCA, once she had left that position Deputy Soulsby was invited to act as an adviser by its new chairman, Peter Ferbrache.
‘Deputy Ferbrache thought it was a good idea if I could come on as an adviser just to give that continuity.
‘I’m very grateful to the current CCA for listening to me.’
Deputy Soulsby shared director of public health Dr Nicola Brink’s view that the worst time over the last two years was leading up to the first lockdown, when the island had no testing capacity and the first case of community seeding was found.
‘That was the most worrying time, when we didn’t have full control and we were dependent on others outside the island.’
Taking the decision to impose a lockdown was one of the hardest she had ever been involved in, she said. ‘But we knew it was the right thing to do.
‘We just knew what a major decision it was, stopping people from being able to leave their home. That’s not what I stood for election for.
‘But it was absolutely the right decision.’
At every turn decisions taken by the CCA received criticism but Deputy Soulsby said the decision to be open with the public was taken early on and was a lesson learned from the flu pandemic exercise undertaken in 2019.
‘The one thing that stood out for me from a politician’s point of view was the importance of communication.
‘And so we were conscious early on of the need to talk directly with the public about what was going on, being honest about what we knew and what we didn’t know.'
