P&R president Lyndon Trott ‘enormously grateful’ for OBE honour

The president of the Policy & Resources Committee was recognised mainly for his contribution to politics and financial services.

He was the first States member to be included in an Honours List since his vice-president at P&R, Deputy Heidi Soulsby, received an MBE for helping steer the island through the pandemic.

Deputy Trott said it was ‘a great honour’ for which he was ‘enormously grateful’ and thanked the many people with whom he had worked, as well as his family.

‘This is really recognition of the many people I’ve worked with – political members, public servants, business colleagues and many other people in the Guernsey community,’ he said.

‘It’s a very special community which I’m deeply proud to have served for so many years, and it has been a team effort.

‘In particular, it is my family who deserve recognition because they, like the families of all those who enter public political life, give a huge amount in terms of support, patience and understanding.

‘Politics in a small and passionate community is often intense, it seldom makes you popular, and it takes up a lot of your life, which is fine as a personal choice but it’s harder to ask it of your family, and my family has been incredibly supportive and I can’t thank them enough.’

After working in financial services locally and in the UK and as a commercial fisherman alongside his father, Deputy Trott was the youngest member of the States when he was first elected in 2000.

He was twice a poll topper in St Sampson’s, in 2004 and 2016, and finished ninth in 2020’s island-wide election, which he has said will be his last before he retires from politics in June.

He first held the top job in Guernsey politics between 2008 and 2012 and became the first person to hold it twice when he was elected again in December last year.

‘I’d also like to thank my own political mentors from whom I learned a great deal in my early years, in particular former Deputy Roger Berry, who was himself honoured with an OBE, 22 years ago to the day,’ said Deputy Trott.

During his time in the States, he has been heavily involved in the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, and is currently serving as independent trustee of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Trust Funds, an unpaid position selected from 17,000 eligible members across the organisation.

Outside the States, for a number of years he has chaired Guernsey Finance while not taking payment for the role.

‘I hope this honour adds to the recognition for Guernsey’s government as a whole and to our jurisdiction’s reputation for professionalism, stability and security, which is what we have been known for over my long career in public service,’ said Deputy Trott.

He has previously said that his second spell in the top job had left him busier than ever and pledged to maintain that pace until the States term ends.

‘I’m very conscious that this award comes at a time when many people are frustrated with the political process,’ he said.

‘I share that frustration. Our public finances remain unbalanced, cost-of-living rises have made life harder for many people, and we are still investing far too little in our island and our economy.

‘While I am hugely grateful to receive this honour, my focus remains on the very big workload that we have to get through in the remaining months of this political term.’