Deputy’s betrayal claim is denied

States Assembly and Constitution Committee president Carl Meerveld, who was recently sacked as chairman of P&R’s offshore wind group, said that he has lost faith in members’ integrity and ability to lead the States Assembly after he claimed the committee reneged on an agreement to let him back into its wind power working group.

‘I feel like I can’t trust them,’ he said.

P&R sacked Deputy Meerveld last month as his views differed to the rest of the sub-group.

Yesterday he revealed that he met four P&R members last Wednesday. He said they agreed that he would be allowed back into the group providing that he only made public statements about the group’s work with P&R’s approval.

Deputy Meerveld then withdrew an amendment to the Government Work Plan, which proposed creating a special investigation and advisory committee to take over developing plans for a commercial-scale wind farm.

‘I did [withdraw], illustrating my good faith and compliance with our agreement,’ he said.

The following day he emailed P&R members, seeking to confirm their verbal agreement, but got no reply.

This, he said, prompted him to become concerned that P&R might renege on the agreement.

‘I still await acknowledgement of our agreement one week after it was agreed, and my concerns that you, the current P&R, intend to renege on our agreement are now confirmed,’ he said in an email to the committee.

He said that meetings had been scheduled for the working group, both internal and with potential developers, from which he had been excluded.

He has now withdrawn his offer to rejoin the offshore wind group, and said he was planning to try to amend the Government Work Plan again.

‘I have shown good faith in our agreement with my actions, while you, the current P&R, have not reciprocated.

‘Consequently, I will support the motion of no confidence in you laid by Deputy Parkinson.’

Half an hour after the emails were shared with the media, Policy & Resources president Peter Ferbrache responded to Deputy Meerveld’s email.

He denied Deputy Meerveld’s version of events, but said they had met last week, agreed he could rejoin the group, and that he would withdraw the amendment.

‘I never thought you had been taken off that group, but that is another matter,’ Deputy Ferbrache wrote.

He said P&R agreed he could rejoin the group, and Deputy Meerveld had not mentioned the matter when the two spoke on Saturday.

‘So the truth is that I, and indeed P&R, have not one iota gone back on what was agreed.’

He said he objected to Deputy Meerveld questioning his integrity.

‘I have very many faults but lacking directness and not being open and frank are not one or more of them,’ he said.

‘I also am a person who if I give my word I stick to it.’

The email exchange in full

Deputy Carl Meerveld provided the Guernsey Press with the emails he sent to P&R. Following the emails being supplied, the States of Guernsey communications team provided the responses, which were sent to Deputy Meerveld by Deputy Ferbrache, after the original emails were given to the media.

Email to P&R members sent by Deputy Meerveld at 3.37pm on Thursday 19 October

Subject: Reappointment to Offshore Wind Group

Hi Guys,

I am glad that we finally had an opportunity to meet yesterday and could find a way to resolve our differences and agree on a beneficial way forward. I want to confirm our agreement:

I will re-join the OSW as a member, with Deputy Blin remaining the group chair.

I will only make public statements regarding the work of this group with P&R approval.

I will not lay Amendment 3 to the GWP or publish the draft replacement for this amendment.

Can P&R now ratify our deal by issuing a media release confirming my re-joining the work group before the GWP debate begins?

My suggestion for a media release is:

START

P&R and Deputy Meerveld are pleased to announce they have resolved their differences. Deputy Meerveld will re-join the working group to continue progressing the important utility-scale wind farm project in cooperation with Deputy Blin, who will continue chairing the group, and colleagues from P&R.

Deputy Meerveld said, "I am grateful for P&R's support for this project, and while our views differ on other policy areas, we are putting those differences aside and working together to pursue this opportunity for the greater good of our community.

I look forward to re-joining the working group after my brief absence and being able to refocus my efforts on developing the opportunity for a utility-scale wind farm off Guernsey."

END

It would reflect positively on P&R if you include comments promising to update Members and the public quarterly, plus your intent/desire to publish a policy letter by the end of 2024. Making these commitments would alleviate public and members' concerns about the visibility and progress of this now high-profile initiative.

Best regards,

Carl P. Meerveld

Guernsey States Deputy

Email sent to P&R members at 12.16pm, on Wednesday 25 October

Subject: Re: Reappointment to Offshore Wind Group

Dear Members of P&R,

Those who know me would consider me one of the last people willing to subjugate myself to others. However, no Deputy should ever put their personal interests or egos before the best interests of our community. My belief in the wind farm project and its ability to deliver the revenue we desperately need in a timely way, mitigating against tax increases, is such that I am willing to subjugate myself to enable it to proceed successfully. I am willing to accept a demotion concerning this project and subject myself to overbearing controls to enable the team working together on this project for the last two years, Deputy Blin and me, to bring it to fruition for the benefit of our community.

Before the States convened on Wednesday (October 18th), I met with four P&R members, Deputies Ferbrache, Mahoney, Le Tocq and Murray, in the Assembly Library room. We agreed on the deal detailed in the email below, with me acquiescing to P&R’s demands, accepting a demotion and controls on my free speech as a Deputy in return for P&R reinstating me to your Offshore Wind Group to enable me to help bring this critical project to fruition for the benefit of our community.

Just over an hour later, I was prompted by an email from [a civil servant] and WhatsApp messages from Deputy Mahoney to withdraw my draft amendment to replace amendment 3 to the Government Work Plan (GWP) as detailed in the agreement below, which I did, illustrating my good faith and compliance with our agreement.

Having heard nothing further from you, the current P&R, regarding our verbal agreement, I sent the email below at 15:37 the next day (Thursday, October 19th), confirming my acquiescence to P&R’s demands in return for my reinstatement to the Offshore Wind Farm working group. I expected a prompt response from you, the current P&R, especially as, at that stage in the debate, there was an expectation that the Government Work Plan (GWP) would be debated the next day or on Saturday — necessitating prompt action.

I was initially disappointed not to receive a reply or acknowledgement of our agreement on Friday, October 19th, which prompted concerns that the current P&R might renege on this agreement, especially when Deputy Helyar declined to answer a question from Deputy Queripel during his closing speech in the Finance and Investment Plan debate, which presented a perfect opportunity for a public statement that P&R and I had reached an agreement and that I was rejoining the working group.

I still await acknowledgement of our agreement one week after it was agreed, and my concerns that you, the current P&R, intend to renege on our agreement are now confirmed. After our agreement on Wednesday, October 18th, the Offshore Wind Farm working group has scheduled meetings—internal meetings and meetings with potential developers whom I introduced to the States. However, current P&R members of the working group have instructed that I not be invited to participate in those meetings.

I have shown good faith in our agreement with my actions, while you, the current P&R, have not reciprocated.

I am withdrawing from my offer to rejoin the P&R-sponsored Offshore Wind Group. I am reinstating my intention to amend the GWP, asking the Assembly to remove the Offshore Wind Group from P&R and form a Special Investigation and Advisory Committee to pursue this critical project.

So that we are clear, I have lost all faith in you as members of P&R, in your integrity and ability to lead our Assembly or deliver the best outcomes for our community. Consequently, I will support the motion of no confidence in you laid by Deputy Parkinson yesterday.

Best regards,

Carl P. Meerveld

Guernsey States Deputy

Email sent to Deputy Meerveld by P&R president Peter Ferbrache at 12.51pm on Wednesday 25 October

Subject: Re: Reappointment to Offshore Wind Group

Carl

I am sorry.

This does not represent where we were or are.

When you and I coincidentally entering the Royal court building on Wednesday morning we spoke.

This followed on from your presentation at Les Cotils which I attended the night before.

On the Wednesday morning we had a-cordial and good conversation and you suggested to me that if you could be to use your phrase be reappointed to the wind farm group you would withdraw your amendment to the working party group dealing with the wind farm and give an undertaking the details of which are not material.

I never thought you had been taken off that group but that is another matter.

I said I felt the previous evening presentation was a good one and I enjoyed it and that I welcomes your approach.

I said I would take it to P&R asap. I was able to do that earlier than I expected. I saw three of my colleagues in the library and I called you in We all agreed what you had suggested in your presence as I called you in.

I then went and spoke to Mark [Helyar] who was already in the Assembly and he immediately agreed. I walked straight over to you and said all was agreed.

I also happened to see Chris Blin and I told him what was agreed and he expressed his delight at that.

We were all then engaged in three further days of debate finishing after 6pm on Friday. On Saturday morning you left a message asking me to call which I did.

We had again what I thought was a very friendly conversation but I cannot recall you raising the wind farm issue at all. If you had any concerns you know me well enough you could have raised them.

If you had I would have assured you that what we agreed on Wednesday was agreed and there was no intent to go back on it.

Indeed if at any time you had had any concerns you know you could approach me You have done so many times in the past and although we have not always agreed on every issue our conversations have always been friendly and civil.

In fact we concluded our conversation by saying we should try and arrange a lunch this week.

So the truth is that I and indeed P&R have not one iota gone back on what was agreed.

Email sent to Deputy Meerveld by P&R president Peter Ferbrache sent 1.08pm on Wednesday 25 October

Subject: Re: Reappointment to Offshore Wind Group

Carl

How you vote on the Parkinson motion is a matter for you but I do take objection to you questioning my integrity.

You have known me now for over seven years and though of course we have had some political dis agreements we have always done so civilly.

We have also agreed on many more matters than we have disagreed on. We have had probably hundreds of conversations and quite a few lunches. You even said which I also agreed as recent as last week that some people might not realise that even if we disagreed on political matters such as GST we were mates.

I have very many faults, but lacking directness and not being open and frank are not one or more of them.

I also am a person who if I give my word I stick to it. Thus although I would have preferred to deal with this privately you have copied this to many people I am responding publicly.

So I would like you to respond in this forum how you believe my integrity is impugned.

I also add if in addition you want at any time to speak to me you can.

Regards

Peter