Post-Brexit relations with UK are ‘best ever'

Jonathan Le Tocq appeared alongside Jersey politician Philip Ozouf and Isle of Man chief minister Alfred Cannan to address the House of Commons European Scrutiny Committee.

All three gave a generally upbeat assessment of the current state of relations between the UK and the islands post-Brexit.

Deputy Le Tocq, who has been involved in external relations work for a decade, said they were as good as he could remember.

‘One of the good things that’s happened since the UK’s decision to withdraw from the EU has been that our relationships with the UK government at a departmental level have improved, and I would say they are the best they have been,’ he said.

‘We’re consulted more regularly and opportunity is sought to understand fully why our interests would differ and to seek to represent them more effectively.’

He admitted that there had been ‘tensions’ in the past over UK government departments failing to fully understand the Guernsey position.

It was important for the UK to recognise there may be different ways of achieving desired outcomes while respecting the constitutional relationship, he said.

Speaking more generally about post-Brexit relations between the Crown Dependencies and the UK, Deputy Le Tocq said they should ‘continue to be underpinned by principles of relevance, proportionality and practicality’.

Deputy Ozouf drew attention to the independently estimated £14bn-worth of value that Jersey’s economic activity brought to the UK economy, and the 250,000 UK jobs supported by it.

Guernsey officials and politicians are regularly in contact with the UK, while issues relating to Europe directly are primarily handled through the Channel Islands Brussels Office.