Should islands be represented in Westminster? No, says Lord Ponsonby
THE UK government minister who has responsibility for the Channel Islands has said he would oppose the idea of the islands having an elected representative at Westminster.
Lord Ponsonby, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice, was visiting Alderney on the first of a two-day trip to the islands.
When there was a chance for questions from the island’s media, one was whether or not he thought the islands should be represented in Westminster. ‘No,’ was the reply.
However, he said that he was not really there to give opinions and was ‘in listening mode’, having been in the role for only a short time.
As well as visiting some of the island’s historical sites of interest such as the German camps, the peer was shown the state of the runway at Alderney Airport. He agreed that it was in a poor condition and he was going to ask Guernsey States what it was going to do about it.
Lord Ponsonby and his wife were accompanied on their visit by Alderney States president William Tate and his wife, plus States member Ian Carter.
After lunch he spent about two hours talking to members of the States, which allowed them the chance to highlight issues facing the island.
Today he will be in Sark, where he is due to arrive at 11.15am and will be met by Conseiller John Guille, chairman of the island’s Policy & Finance Committee and the island’s senior executive officer before joining them on a carriage ride.
He will then have lunch with members and officers of Chief Pleas and a meeting with Seigneur Christopher Beaumont afterwards.
