Nine candidates to stand in Alderney’s election

Four States members are bidding to return to office, but there is a notable absentee with former Policy & Finance Committee chairman Ian Carter choosing not to stand.

Mr Carter, who has served four years in the island’s States, including six months as president of Policy & Finance in 2022, and is currently vice-president of the States, said that he was influenced by having just become a grandfather, with his family living in France.

‘There is no way that I can do the job of a States member properly and be a proper grandparent, and in these circumstances family comes first,’ he said at the weekend.

He said that he had enjoyed his time in the States.

‘I feel that we have achieved things and I am certainly not standing down through frustration,’ the former schoolteacher said.

He also welcomed the increase in interest for candidates to stand for election. At the last general election in 2022 there were only four candidates for five seats, while when Mr Carter was elected in 2020, there were only six candidates.

‘That is really positive and it reflects well on the efforts that the chief executive has made to promote the election and encourage people to stand.’

States members seeking re-election are Kevin Gentle, Boyd Kelly, Lin Maurice and Alex Snowdon. They are joined by political newcomers Haydn Bateman, Stuart Clark, Edward Hill and Iain Macfarlane, while Rosemary Hanbury, who served in the island’s government between 1998 and 2002 and was for a while an Alderney representative in the States of Guernsey is making a bid to return to the States.

The election takes place on Saturday 16 November for five of the 10 seats in the island’s States. Voting takes place in the Island Hall.